Somewhere Over the Rainbow
by KholdstareV
Summary: The next Paper Mario epic! Follow Mario and his friends from TTYD as they embark on a journey to the land of the Gods to revive an ancient, guardian magic. Intrigue seeps in as a conspiracy concerning this magic's true power begins to surface...
1. Prologue

****

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

**By KholdstareV**

* * *

_NOTE: This story take place after the events that unfolded in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, and contains major spoilers of said game. Read at your own risk! o.0_

* * *

**PROLOGUE**

_**- A Grand Reunion -**_

Vivian was sitting in her armchair daydreaming when she suddenly heard the familiar sound of flapping wings. The sound always made her heart flutter - Parakarry was dropping off the mail. She immediately got up to greet him.

It was another dimly lit day in Twilight Town. Vivian flew out the door and looked over towards the mailbox. Parakarry hovered in front of it and pulled a single letter out of his mailbag. Vivian could tell he was nervous, seeing as Twilight Town was a bit of a creepy place for him. However, once he turned and saw her standing at the door, he smiled. "Mail Call!" he said playfully. Vivian laughed.  
"Hey there, Vivian! How ya doin'?"  
Vivian smiled and floated up to him. "Hi Parakarry! I'm great! How are you?"  
"Err... been a long day, but I reckon I'm all right." Parakarry was about to put the letter in the mailbox, but simply decided to hand it to Vivian. "Got yourself one letter there, Missy! Sure looks fancy, don't it?"  
Vivian took the envelope and examined it. The paper itself almost appeared to shine like gold... "Oh, OK. Thank you Parakarry."  
Parakarry nodded and began flapping his wings. "Well, I still got a bit more work ahead of me. Take care Vivian!"  
Vivian waved as he began to take off. "OK, keep working hard, Parakarry! Oh, and please... You have to tell me about your adventures with Mario one day!"  
"I definitely will, Sugar! Bye bye!" And with that, Parakarry flew off into the Twilight.

Vivian held the envelope in her hands and stared down at it. Who could it be from? The only letter she'd ever gotten was from Mario and the gang shortly after they had finished their last adventure...  
The second she thought of that, her heart grew heavy. Oh, how she longed to see them all again! The time she'd spent traveling with Mario had been the greatest time of her life. She'd grown far more confident since then, as well. She recalled that before ever meeting, she would always cover her eyes with her curl of hair because she'd always felt so inferior to her older sisters. But ever since she'd returned home, she now found herself showing her eyes to the world more often...

Vivian took off her hat and brushed the curl aside with her fingers, revealing her beautiful blue and purple eyes. They sparkled even in the dim moonlight. Being a Shadow Siren, she knew her eyes had power of faintly seducing any member of the opposite sex. She never actually used this gift, but it was nice to know she had it. C:

Vivian fingered the golden envelope. She turned it around and carefully opened it. She then took out the paper within and unfolded it, revealing a beautifully handwritten note. She eagerly began to read...

--

_Dearest Heroine of Rogueport,_

_Accounts of your brave deeds have spread even as far as this land of Morteva. Upon hearing these news, I knew you would be the one to ask for help... Yes, we are in dire need of a heroine such as yourself. I haven't the time to explain in this letter, so if you choose to take on this task, please meet me at Morteva's dock on Friday afternoon. I have enclosed tickets for the luxury ocean liner Elation to ferry you here. The boat leaves on Wednesday and shall arrive on Friday. I will be waiting for you, Vivian. I beg of you to help us all. The Gods will thank you._

--

Vivian read the letter aloud to herself once more and was astonished. Wow, someone wanted her help? And they called her "Dearest Heroine of Rogueport"... It sounded so dignified! And the "Gods" would thank her...? Geez, this sure sounded important...

Vivian reached into the envelope and felt several thin slips of paper. She pulled them out, and found they were boarding passes for the luxury ocean liner Elation. That was the most expensive cruise ship in the world, as far as she knew! Goodness, what an opportunity! She excitedly counted the boarding passes...

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8...  
Wait a minute... 8?! Oh, wow! She had just the right amount to bring Mario and all her friends form their last adventure! Could she really...? Oh, what if she could? The thought made her so happy she almost felt like crying. Another adventure with Mario and her friends. It had been her dream... she HAD to tell her sisters! She began to drift back to the house to tell them.

But then she stopped. What if she did tell them? Would they expect her to bring them along? Would Beldam approve of letting Vivian go in the first place? Beldam surely wasn't evil anymore, but she was still upset about what had happened...

Vivian decided not to tell her sisters, with fear that they might force Vivian to take them along, or worse, that Beldam would forbid her to go. However, if she just left without letting them know where she went, wouldn't they worry? She decided to just leave the note she'd gotten in the mail on the table for her sisters to see. She'd just keep the Elation boarding passes in the envelope and take it.

Vivian crept into the living room and looked around. When she saw no one, she quickly threw the letter on the table and flew out the door. Once she was sure the coast was clear, she began to head out...

"VIVIAN!!"

Beldam's screeching voice made Vivian stop in her tracks. She turned around and saw Beldam standing at the front door with the letter in her hand. What the hell? She found it already?! Geez, of all rotten luck. Maybe leaving the letter had been a stupid idea after all...  
"Vivian, where the HELL do you think you're going?"  
"Umm, uhh... you- you found the letter already??"  
"Of course! My _'Vivian is getting away' _sense was tingling."  
"Oh..." Vivian wasn't sure what to say to that.  
"And why is your hat off!? Put it back on, you worm!"  
Vivian immediately obeyed, putting her hat back on and once again shielding her beautiful eyes from the world.  
"Now, come inside. We have to talk about this!"  
"Yes sis," Vivian said sadly, following Beldam back into the house.

Beldam sat in an armchair next to Marilyn. Vivian was left standing in the middle of the room in front of both of them. Vivian listened as Beldam explained the whole situation to Marilyn, who nodded approvingly.  
"So, someone in some place called Morteva wants YOUR help? And you're actually going there?!"  
"Well, of course! Or, I mean, I _was_ going there..."  
"_Was_ is right, you little piece of baggage! You're not going anywhere!"  
Vivian then became angry. "Beldam, please! You said so yourself that you had gotten over the death of the Shadow Queen! Why do you still treat me so badly? You practically thanked Mario that he killed her!"  
Beldam sighed. "I know, I only worked to revive the Shadow Queen because I thought I had to..."  
"C'mon, Beldam! It's not like she was our mom or anything!..."  
Beldam was silent for a long time. "I know, but she's the closet thing we ever got..."  
"Yeah, I know..." Vivian moaned.

Beldam then looked up at her. "You have those boarding passes for the Elation?"

Vivian nodded and handed Beldam the envelope. She opened it and pulled them out. She counted eight. She then nodded. "So, you plan on taking your friends from Rogueport with you, is that it?"  
Vivian was quite surprised by Beldam's inference. "Yes..."

"How long has it been since you last saw them? 6 months?"

Again, Vivian was surprised. "Yes. Exactly 6 months."  
Beldam looked at the boarding passes for a while, then finally looked up. "Tell you what; You can go if Marilyn and I go, too."  
"GUH!"

Vivian groaned. She KNEW Beldam would say that. "But there's only eight passes!"  
"Well then you'll have to leave two of your friends behind. Sorry."  
Vivian began to tear up. She tried to hide them, but Beldam still heard her muffled whimpers. "Vivian, don't be such a baby! We're your sisters, for goodness sake!"  
But when Vivian still didn't stop whimpering, Beldam finally said, "OK, I'll give you the option of going with your friends, but I'll punish you the second you get back!"  
Vivian then lit up. "Really? Oh, thank you! Any punishment you give me will still be worth it! Thank you, sis!"  
"Yeah yeah..." Beldam grumbled.  
"Just wondering, though... what will my punishment be? More chores?"  
"Naw, we already have our new housekeeper to take care of that..."  
"New housekeeper? Who is it?"

"Hiya Vivian!" a familiar voice called out.  
Vivian looked over and saw Doopliss wearing an apron and holding a broom. Vivian's jaw dropped in disgust. "DOOPLISS?! Doopliss is our housekeeper??"  
"Yeah," said Beldam. "We just hired him this morning!"  
"But... why DOOPLISS??"  
"Well, _he_ actually came to _us_ asking to do housework. And besides, he's only charging 5 cents an hour!"  
Vivian turned to Doopliss with her hands on her hips. "5 cents an hour? Wow, work a five-hour shift and you got enough money to buy a gumball to feed your starving family! Oh wait, that's right! You don't have a family cuz you're too much of a jackass to get a wife!"  
"Whoa, touch-_Y_!" Doopliss mocked before going back to sweeping.

Vivian then turned back to Beldam. "So... you promise to let me take my friends if you'll punish me when I get back?"  
Beldam sneered. "I still think you should take Marilyn and I..."  
But at that moment, Marilyn got up and floated over to Vivian. "Guh Guh GUH-HUH?"  
"What the HELL did she just say?" Doopliss asked.  
"She asked me... When I think about who I'd want to spend two days on a luxury cruise line with, who's the first person to come to mind?"  
"And who IS the first person that comes to mind?" Beldam wondered.  
Vivian smiled. "...Mario. Definitely."

Marilyn nodded, then turned to Beldam. "Guh GUH!"  
Beldam looked away and handed the boarding passes to Marilyn. "Go on, take your friends. Have fun," she said as she did.  
Marilyn handed the boarding passes to Vivian, who smiled with delight. "R-really?"  
"Yeah, really. Get lost!"  
Vivian was ecstatic. "Oh, thank you Beldam! Thank you so much!" She rushed up and gave Beldam a hug. Beldam grunted, but hugged her back.  
"And thank you, Marilyn!"  
"GUH!" Marilyn exclaimed as she gave her little sister a big hug.

"Can I go?" Doopliss asked sheepishly.  
Vivian looked at him, disgusted. "Eww, no!"  
"Aw, c'mon Viv! I'll be good!" he promised."Ugh, just shut the W-shaped hole of yours already!"  
She then turned and waved sweetly towards her sister. "I'll be back soon! Bye bye!"  
She heard no reply as she walked out the door.

Vivian floated towards the warp pipe to Rogueport . She held all eight boarding passes in her hands and held them close. Oh, she was going on another adventure with her friends again! She was so happy!  
But her happiness soon faded when she saw a rather excited Doopliss running after her. He was calling to her like an idiot and trying to catch up. Ugh, what did he want now?!

Vivian clenched her teeth in annoyance as she heard Doopliss calling and running up to her. "Yo Viv, wait up! I really gotta ask you-!!"  
But without waiting for another word, and without even turning around to look at him, she flipped him off. The power of her middle finger caused Doopliss to erupt like a volcano. "AAAGGGGHHHH!! You crazy bitch!!" he cried painfully, running crazily back towards the house.

Doopliss ran around the back of the house and saw the well. Dying to put out the searing flames, he jumped in. However, it was pretty much empty, and he fell twenty feet before landing with a SMACK!! There was a shallow puddle of water at the bottom, which he rolled around in to extinguish the flames. Once he was all put out, he plopped down and sighed. "Oh, cruel Vivian," he thought, "Why do you treat me so...?"

* * *

Vivian appeared in the Rogueport sewers after riding through the pipe. When she did, she began to wonder if maybe she'd been a little hard on Doopliss. After all, it's not like he had been trying to hurt her...  
No. Doopliss was a horrible person. He had tried to kill her, and he had tried to steal Mario's identity and kill him, too. No amount of fire would do his crimes justice, she decided. With that, she began head towards the surface.

However, along the way, she got little mixed up. Perhaps she'd taken a wrong pipe or something, but she somehow ended up at the site of the Thousand-Year Door...  
It was slightly open.

Seeing the door again gave her shivers. She remembered periodically returning here with Mario on their adventure, and every time she would see it, she'd get a twisted feeling in her stomach... that feeling you get you know something is so close, yet so far away...  
Of course, the door was open now, but still... looking at it made her feel uneasy. It reminded her of her sisters, and how crazy they went over the opening of the door. And the Shadow Queen...

Once the Shadow Queen entered Vivian's mind, she forced herself to look away. She didn't want to think about that. She didn't want to remember any of it.  
Vivian put her hand on her forehead, and realized she'd been holding her breath and shaking badly. She let out a strong gust of air, but her quivering did not stop. She had to go. She had to get out of there.  
Vivian quickly drifted out of the room, without taking another look at the Thousand-Year Door...

* * *

Vivian was relieved to finally smell the salty sea air of Rogueport. She looked around and smiled. "Wow," she told herself, "This town has really gotten a lot friendlier since the defeat of the Shadow Queen." Indeed, it had. Crime rates had dropped tremendously, and the syndicate's money was slowly being used to rebuild the town. It was quite a sight to see.  
Vivian pulled out the 8 boarding passes. She took one and noticed a memo printed on the back of it:

--

_**Elation Cruise Line destinations: **__Lavalava Island, Yoshi Island, Beanbean Kingdom, Toad Town, Chocolate Island, Morteva  
_

And written below:

_A new stop has been added to the Elation's series of vacation spots - Keelhaul Key! Situated directly between Chocolate Island and Morteva, the Elation Cruise Line has now added Keelhaul Key, as it is now no longer haunted, as a vacation destination between these two ports. Next scheduled docking at keelhaul Key this Wednesday, February 23._

_--  
_  
Vivian thought to herself. Keelhaul Key was a port that she and all the members of the party were familiar with, so it'd definitely be best if they all boarded the ship there. The boat was going to be docking at Keelhaul Key on February 23, which just so happened to be the very next day. Did she really have time to deliver all the boarding passes to everyone individually? She wondered if maybe it'd be better to mail them as priority mail, and then have everyone all meet up on Keelhaul Key instead. Yeah, she would do that! It'd feel more special if they could all arrange to meet at the same place anyway! They all knew they could just use the Rogueport sewers to reach the island easily. It was a perfect idea!

Vivian glided as fast as she could to the bar and paid Podley 5 coins to use the phone. She quickly dialed the Toad Town Post Office.  
"Hello? Parakarry? Yeah, it's me, Vivian. Hi! Listen, I have some priority mail that must be delivered ASAP... Yes, it's very important... It concerns Mario... Oh, you'll do it? Oh, Thank you so much! Meet me at the Rogueport docks in one hour... Seven, yes. It will be seven separate deliveries... Yeah, sure. I'll explain everything when you get here..."

Vivian drifted merrily along the sandy shores of Keelhaul Key. She carried all her belongings in a little blue backpack, which was slung over one shoulder. She soon reached her destination - a huge dock which had just been built by the locals. This was where the Elation would pick them up and take them all to Morteva in just a couple hours!

Vivian worried a bit. What if somebody's boarding pass got lost in the mail? Parakarry promised to deliver them all safely and quickly, but he wasn't exactly the most dependable mailman in the world...  
She looked across the grassy area and saw a series of benches for waiting passengers. She noticed someone sitting on one of them. She took a closer look. That green shell... that blue sweatshirt...  
Koops! Koops was already there, waiting for her! Vivian was so excited she just wanted to run up there and say hi! But then she wondered, wouldn't it be funner to surprise him? But... how could she do that?

Vivian had an idea how she could surprise Koops. She quickly put her idea into action and slipped into the shadows. Now that she didn't have to worry about pulling Mario down with her, she could now move freely through the shadow realm. She shifted forward until she was sure she was under Koops' bench, then poked her head out from the shadows and confirmed her position. Then, mimicking Beldam's witch-like voice as best she could, she said...  
_"Koooops..."  
_  
Koops looked around curiously, but did not see anyone, completely unaware that Vivian was directly beneath the bench he was sitting on. Vivian called out a bit louder this time...  
_"Koooooops!  
_  
"Hmm..." Koops told himself. "I recognize that voice from somewhere..."  
Vivian spoke again. _"Koooops, I've come back to kill you!"  
_It then came to him. "Beldam? Is that you?"_"Yes... and I've come to exact my revenge upon you!"  
_Koops remained virtually unafraid. "Umm... Beldam? Yeah, I don't want to sound rude, but, umm... I killed your queen, so... I'm kinda sure I can beat you, too."  
_"Ah, but you had Mario with you then. You couldn't have beaten my queen without her. But here... you're all alone... no Mario to back you up... Hehehe!"  
_Koops realized that was true. As he sat tense on the bench, Vivian slowly rose out of the ground behind him and breathed deeply on the back of his neck. He screamed and jumped up, but when he turned to see who had done it, he saw no one. Vivian had slipped into the shadows at that moment, and was now standing behind him.  
_"And now... you DIE!"  
_Koops then stood defensively. "N-no... I won't let you! I have an egg waiting back at home, and I'm going to be there to see it hatch, no matter WHAT you do!"  
Vivian lit up when she heard that. "Oh my gosh! Really??"

Koops screamed and turned around, but when he saw Vivian, he got a strange look on his face. A mixture of fear, confusion, annoyance. But after a few seconds, it became a warm smile. "Vivian!!"  
"Koops!" she cried, giving him a hug.  
"It's good to see you again! How've you been?"  
"Great! Sorry I scared you. I just wanted to surprise you a little..."  
"Oh, umm... that's OK."  
"So, I guess you're doing good, considering you've got an egg at home!"  
"Hehe, yup! Koopie Koo laid an egg just a couple weeks ago."  
"Oh, that's wonderful! I mean, can you believe it? You're gonna be a DADDY soon!"  
Koops chuckled. "Yeah... me, a dad. Who'd have thought?"

Vivian then noticed Koops was carrying his boarding pass in his sweatshirt pocket. "So, I see Parakarry delivered your boarding pass alright?"  
Koops looked down at it and took it out. "Huh? Oh, yeah. I got it. He told me you got a distress letter from some place called Morteva asking you for help, and they sent you 8 Elation tickets to ferry you there?"  
"Yeah! Isn't that wild?"  
"Geez, yeah! So, you umm... invited all our pals from the adventure last time, right?"  
"Of course! They should all be here soon!"  
"Oh, that's great! I can't wait to see them and tell them the news!"  
"Is Koopie Koo going to be OK without you there for a while?"  
"Yeah. I considered not coming, but she insisted. I'll be sure to keep in contact with her, though."  
"OK. Well, let's just sit and chat until the others come..."

Over the course of the next 2 hours, party members began to arrive at the beach one by one...  
Bobbery was the first to show up, having been ferried to the beach by Cortez. He was now a successful merchant sailor, and proudly announced that he had begun dating again for the first time since Scarlette's death.  
Flurrie was next. Everyone knew how she was doing - she'd struck it big with her latest play "Paper Mario" and was living the good life. She'd also lost a bit of weight, so she looked quite a bit prettier (though not tremendously )  
After that came Goombella. She'd recently finished her second year of schooling at the University of Goom. She was going to major in archeology, and hoped to one day explore the Dry Dry Ruins in the Mushroom Kingdom. The first thing everyone noticed, though, was that she no longer wore her hair in a ponytail - she just let her golden locks hang down. She still wore her mining helmet, though.  
Next was Ms Mowz. Not much had changed for her. She still roamed the world in search of rare badges to sell at her store, which had now become quite a bit more than just a room with a counter. Her business and life were thriving, it seemed, so she was happy.  
Afterwards came everyone's favorite baby green Yoshi, Verdugo. He had become a very popular solo fighter in the Glitz Pit, and had come close to winning several title matches, though he'd yet to actually win one. He hadn't changed a whole lot either, except he was now just a wee bit bigger with more hair.  
Everyone that arrived was greeted with an ecstatic welcome and a big hug from everyone. They were indeed very happy to see each other, and they all had so much to tell! They spent tons of time just chatting amongst themselves about how they'd been since they last traveled together. They would occasionally voice memories of their adventure with Mario, and it would release all those warm and exciting memories deep within all their hearts...

However, one hero had yet to arrive...  
That is, until Goombella spotted him walking along the shore towards them.  
"Look!" she called out, causing everyone to turn around...

"MARIO!!"

"Hey guys!" Mario shouted, waving happily at the group and sped up to meet them. When he reached the happy crowd, they immediately smothered him in hugs.  
Peach arrived shortly after Mario. She had hardly been able to keep up with Mario, seeing as he was so excited to see all his friends again. When Parakarry delivered the Elation boarding pass to Mario, Peach decided she wanted to go, too. She promised to pay for her own ticket when the boat came.

"How have you been, Mario dear?" Flurrie asked.  
"Same old, same old," Mario said. "Just continuin' the plumber business with Luigi. Nothin' too special."  
"How about you, miss Princess Peach?" Bobbery wondered.  
"Oh, nothing too special with me either. Typical administrative work... Not easy being a princess, so I do enjoy a vacation once in a while!"  
Before anyone could say anything else, Verdugo called out excitedly, "Check it out, there's the boat!"

Everyone turned and looked out at the water. Coming towards them was perhaps the largest, most magnificent ocean liner any of them had ever seen. It was humongous, seriously! And along the side, written in bold blue letters, was the word "ELATION".  
The Elation carefully docked and opened its doors. Several tourists got off the boat to admire Keelhaul Key's beaches, but Mario and the gang were boarding. Vivian was so happy to see that each one had gotten their boarding passes delivered, and Peach gladly paid for her own.

"So, where are our rooms?" Mario asked the doorman.  
"You will be staying in Rooms 666-668, on the second deck."  
"Only 3 rooms? But there's 9 of us," Peach said.  
"Sorry miss, but we're all filled up. Of course, all 9 of you are riding together, right? I'm sure you wouldn't mind sharing a few rooms, would you?"  
"I guess not," Mario figured.  
"OK then, but just remember that each room only has 4 bunks, so... yeah, I'll leave all that up to you guys. Have fun and enjoy your trip on the Elation luxury cruise line!"

All 9 of them walked through the door and explored the ships humongous sublevel hallways until they came across their 3 rooms - 666, 667, and 668. No one was totally sure how the decision came about, but the rooms were eventually divided up. Goombella, Flurrie, Vivian and Ms Mowz took Room 666, Mario and Peach took Room 667, and Koops, Verdugo and Bobbery shared Room 668.

Shortly after all the rooms had been selected, the Elation's foghorn sounded, indicating that it was time to disembark. Destination - Morteva...


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

**- _Victims on a Cruise_ -**

Verdugo hopped on his bunk and stretched. "Aw man, this is AWESOME! We're on the Elation! And we all got a room away from those crazy girls! Just us men, hangin' out, doin' manly things..."  
"Yeah, manly things..." Koops said, letting out a belch.  
"Excuse me moment, gents, but I have to use the lavatory," Bobbery announced, walking into the small bathroom.

"So, Verdugo..." Koops said, sprawling onto his bunk. "Did Mario ever explain why he named you 'Verdugo'?"  
"Yeah. He said he wanted to give me a Hispanic name cuz he said Gonzales, his Glitz Pit fighter name, is Hispanic, too. He also said the word 'verdugo' has two meanings - one being 'tree branch' like my green coloring, and the other being 'executioner', which is an awesome fighter name! Plus, it sounds cool! _'Verdugo'_..." he repeated, admiring the sound of the name. "So, you got a baby at home or something?"  
Koops smiled to himself. "Yup. Got an egg that's gonna hatch in a few months..."  
"So... I don't get it... how exactly does a girl Koopa lay an egg? Did you have anything to do with it at all?"  
Koops chuckled. "Hehehe... yeah, believe me. I played a BIG part in that..."  
"What did you do? What??"

At that moment, an explosion boomed from within the bathroom! The door flew open, and out of a thick cloud of smoke walked Bobbery, laughing. "Ha HA! Those enchiladas..."  
Koops grimaced. "That's just wrong..."  
Verdugo began rolling on the bed laughing.

* * *

"Oh girls, it's just fabulous to be traveling with you all again!" Ms Mowz exclaimed, throwing her bag beside her bunk and hopping on.  
"I know, it's pretty unbelievable, isn't it?" Goombella said.  
Flurrie piled her several suitcases next to her bed. "Indeed, it is. Oh, and is Mario just about as handsome as he ever was? What a prize! Too bad he's all crazy about his Princess Peach..."  
"Oh, I know!" Ms Mowz said. "I don't want to think bad thoughts, but if Peach could just somehow leave the

picture..."  
"Yeah!" Goombella cried. "Let's sabotage!"  
Vivian sat down on a little plastic stool. "Oh, c'mon. Mario's happy with Peach. You should just accept it."  
Goombella rolled her eyes. "Oh, Vivian. We were just joking! Besides, you canNOT tell me you don't have feeling for Mario. It was like, SO obvious when we were on out last adventure!"  
Vivian had actually thought about Mario a lot since they last traveled, and she realized that she didn't actually love him as she thought she did. She figured that since he was the first person who ever treated her nicely, she mistook the happiness that blossomed within her for love. Of course, she _did_ love Mario - as a person, and as a friend - but true love was something she had yet to find. And with her newfound confidence, she believed she was certainly ready for it...

Vivian then realized that Goombella was still waiting for a response. "Umm... of course. I do love Mario."  
"Then do you want to help us boot out Peach?" Flurrie said playfully.  
"No thanks. It's nice to see Mario is happy with Peach."  
"Yeah, I guess it is..." Goombella thought. "Besides, those frat boys back at the University - Omigosh! Hottest guys EVER!"  
"Hmmhmm..." Ms Mowz giggled, remembering her own college days. "So Flurrie, how's the showbiz?"  
"Oh, wonderful!" Flurrie exclaimed. "The play 'Paper Mario' has become the highest-engrossing play in the past 50 years! I'm actually quite surprised that little ragamuffin Doopliss didn't stay on tour..."

"Doopliss...?" Vivian asked, remembering the last time she'd saw him the day before.  
"Yes, remember him? I actually kind of respected him. Very energetic actor, he was! But one day, he just ran off, saying something about how life on stage was just empty without his true love..."  
"True love?" Goombella asked. "Doopliss is in love? Aww! That is so CUTE!"  
"I know," Ms Mowz said. "Who'd have thought that little nobody was actually capable of loving?"  
"I wonder who the unlucky lady is!" Vivian said with a smirk.  
All the girls laughed playfully.

* * *

Mario and Peach had put all their stuff away and were relaxing in their adjacent bunks.

"Isn't this lovely, Mario?" Peach asked from her bed. "Two days on a luxury cruise, just you and me in sharing a room..."

When she didn't hear Mario respond, she glanced over and saw him reading a magazine. "Mario? What's that you're reading?"  
Mario looked up at her. "Oh, this? It's a magazine about video game visuals. Geez, these 3-D graphics are pretty amazing."  
"What, like 3-D houses and trees?"  
"No, like... 3-D characters."  
3-D characters a concept Peach associated with much. "Hmm... well, we wouldn't expect to see many 3-D 'characters' in a world like ours, huh?"  
"Nope, definitely not. That's why it's all just so interesting! I sort of wonder what it would be like to have a full 3-D body, like my counterpart from Super Mario 64! Wouldn't that be cool?"  
"Yeah, I suppose... but don't hope too much, Mario."  
"Don't worry," Mario assured her, but he soon found himself looking upon the pictures in the magazine with a certain envy. He forced himself to close it and drop it on the ground. "So, what were you saying?"  
"I was saying how nice it was to be sharing a room with you..."  
"Oh, right." Mario said. "Say, wanna come sit over here in my bed?"  
"Love to," Peach said flirtatiously, walking over.

* * *

Several hours had passed. Everyone had all eaten dinner together - Salisbury Shroom with Birdo Egg's Benedict - and had a great time. During the voyage, they all pretty much did their own thing. They would lounge on the deck, sit in the hot tub, watch the ocean... Verdugo and Koops especially had fun in the video arcade, and Mario found himself stopping by the ice cream machine several times. The girls generally hung out in the bar and casino, though Goombella had taken an hour to watch the talent/comedy show, featuring a Toad that blew up balloons with his ass o0.

By about midnight, everyone had finally settled down and returned to their rooms. All except Mario, who was just finishing up his last-minute snack/buffet for the night. And Vivian, who was relaxing on the lower rear deck, watching the boat's wake widen across the water and disappear into the black horizon.

* * *

The rear of the ship had an upper and lower deck. Doopliss stood alone on the upper deck, leaning against the railing and looking over. Normally, people stood on the upper deck to get a view of the wake that the boat left on the ocean's surface. But Doopliss wasn't looking out at the ocean. She was staring down upon the lower deck, at the lone girl staring out at the ocean. And as he did, his heart melted in his chest...

"Oh Vivian..." he whispered to himself. "If only I could have a second chance..."  
Looking at her from behind, he admired her beautiful pink hair blowing in the wind. Damn, everything about her was just so _perfect_!!  
He observed the way she just stared out at the disappearing ocean. Even from behind, she almost looked sad...  
And it made Doopliss feel sad as well.

"_Why? Why did we have to meet that way? All because I found that goddamn Crystal Star... Jesus, that thing messed with my head. Turned me into a fuggin' beast! Didn't even notice a perfect girl when she was right in front of me..."  
_  
Indeed, when Doopliss first saw Vivian alongside Mario, she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, and he immediately fell for her. However, fear of having his Crystal Star taken away overcome that feeling, and like an idiot, he had tried to kill her.  
After that, he joined the Shadow Sirens because he thought maybe he'd get a chance to see Vivian again, even if the attention he got was negative. Plus, shortly after joining, Beldam told him that the Shadow Queen might be able to use some magic spell to bring Doopliss and Vivian together. This was motivation enough for him to agree to help. Then, when he had witnessed the Shadow Queen's awakening, his hopes were unbelievably high that he just might get his heart's desire... and then Mario and Vivian defeat her 10 minutes after she was freed!  
After that, Doopliss had simply become a wreck. When Vivian moved to Twilight Town afterwards, he spent the next several months trying every chance he could to talk to Vivian. He would often surprise her and make her angry just to get her attention. He finally got the idea of becoming the Shadow Sirens' housekeeper, just to be near her, but when he learned she was leaving for another adventure the next day, he followed her. He gathered up all the money he'd earned while performing the play "Paper Mario" and bought himself an Elation boarding pass. And now, there he was...

At that moment, Vivian began to turn her head slightly. Was she turning around? Oh snap! Doopliss quickly jumped back and ducked down on the ground to avoid being seen. After several seconds, he finally stood up again, and peeked down. She hadn't even turned around, and was still just looking out at the ocean.  
Doopliss then became angry with himself.

_"Why did I even bother to board this damn boat? To just look at her?! And get all flipped out if she looks at me?! I can do that at home!! What the hell's my purpose here if all I'm gonna do is look? I'm just prolonging the inevitable..."  
_

Doopliss continued to just stand there, happy to be able to see the girl he loved, yet so sad knowing that looking was the most he'd ever be able to do...

But then, something entered his mind. An idea...  
He was a Duplighost! He could change his entire physical appearance, could he not?  
What if... he could change his appearance to look like the handsomest guy in the world? Yeah! He'd be able to talk to her then!  
It was a perfect idea! In fact, he kicked himself wondering why he'd never thought of it before...  
But that day would come tomorrow. For now, he was content just standing on the upper deck and staring down at his dream girl...

* * *

Mario was just finishing up his midnight snack/buffet when he spotted Vivian. He decided to join her and maybe have a little chat.

Mario walked out of the restaurant and up to Vivian. "Hey!" he called to her.

Vivian turned around and smiled gently. "Oh, hi Mario!"  
Mario took a spot next to her and stared out at the black horizon. "You doin' alright?"  
"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks..."  
"It's kinda late to be just standin' out here, don't you think?"  
"It's kinda late to be passing through the buffet line, too!" she said with a laugh.  
Mario laughed too, but then became rather serious. "Hey, Vivian? Can I ask you something?"  
"What is it?"  
Mario looked down as though he was afraid his question would upset Vivian a lot, but he finally sighed and said it. "Yeah, it's just that, I couldn't help notice some... similarities between you and... The Shadow Queen..."  
Just that name made Vivian feel nervous, but she figured Mario had a good reason to wonder about that. "Yeah? What about her?"  
"Well, I was just wondering... Were you actually...?  
Vivian could tell Mario knew what he wanted to ask, but wasn't sure how to put it, so she answered for him...  
"Yes, Mario. We're both Shadow Sirens. And yes... for a long time, I'd been involved in the plan for her rebirth. I was her subject... basically, her slave."  
"So, no family relation?" Mario asked in a comical tone.  
But Vivian didn't take it as a joke. "No... I never knew my parents. I don't even know about the reproductive process of Shadow Sirens... but one things for sure - If I do have a mom, it's not the Shadow Queen."  
"Oh..." Mario said. "...Were you alive when the Shadow Queen was first sealed 1,000 years ago?"  
"I was very young when that happened, but yes, I was alive. Don't remember much, though. I'm just talking based on what Beldam's told me..."  
"Oh..." Mario thought. He was silent for a while, but spoke again a little later. "Ya know, I kinda dig the older chicks!"  
Vivian laughed and shoved Mario playfully. "Oh c'mon! I'm not THAT old..."  
"Hmm, so your still basically in your Shadow Siren teenage years, eh?"  
"Yeah... but to be honest, my childhood wasn't much fun. From the time I was little, Beldam began raising me with ideas of raising the Shadow Queen. That's pretty much the only thing I was taught all my life."  
"But... if that's true, why did you end up joining me to fight _against_ the Shadow Queen?"  
Vivian smiled and turned to him. "...Because you're the nicest person in the world."

Mario smiled. "Thanks." He then looked at her apologetically. "Listen, sorry if I upset you by asking about that..."  
"That's OK." Vivian said. "The Shadow Queen's dead now, and I'm finally free to live however I want..." she sighed and looked back out at the ocean. "She's gone, and she's never coming back..."  
Mario nodded, then stretched his arms and yawned. "Well, I'm gonna turn in. You?"  
"Pretty soon, but not yet."  
"OK," Mario said, patting Vivian on the shoulder. "Take care, alright? See you tomorrow morning."  
"You too. Good night, Mario!"

Mario turned around and began to walk towards the staircase leading to the sublevels where his room was. As he walked, he caught sight of something white suddenly slip from view on the deck above. Thinking it was just his tired mind playing tricks, he promptly disregarded it and continued walking...

* * *

The next day started out great, with one big exception - Vivian had woken up feeling mysteriously ill and decided to stay in bed for a while longer. She insisted that everyone not worry about her and go have fun, a promise which they all heavy-heartedly kept. They first enjoyed a buffet breakfast to begin the day. The group only seemed to get together to eat though, for once everyone finished their plate, they'd wave good-bye and go off to enjoy themselves. There was just so much to do on that one ship, it was ridiculous!

Mario was in the arcade, busy playing House of the Dead with Verdugo, when Peach suddenly came running. "Mario!" she cried. "Come quick! You HAVE to see this!"  
"Hang on Peach. We're tryin' to kill this stupid bat d00d... Oh crap! Verdugo, SHOOT THAT BAT!!"  
"I'm tryin'! There's too many! Oh my God, they're gonna KILL ME!!"  
Peach rolled her eyes. "Mario, I'm sure little Verdugo here can take care of this bat monster by himself."  
"Are you KIDDING me??" Verdugo protested. "I can barely survive even with Mario helping me! Mario, shoot the body! SHOOT THE BODY!!"  
"Yeah," Mario told Peach. "I should stay, cuz if I leave now, Verdugo'll get pretty upset..."  
"Hmm..." Peach said. "I guess that's true, seeing as Verdugo SUCKS at this game!"  
Verdugo looked up at her. "Whaddja say??"  
"I said you SUCK!"  
"Oh, I'll show you, you crazy bitch... Gimme that, Mario!" He snatched Mario's gun out of his hands and proceeded to shoot like crazy with both guns. "That worked," Peach said. "C'mon Mario!"  
"Ugghh... OK." Mario said. "Good luck with that, little man!"  
"Yeah, sure..." Verdugo answered back. As Mario left, he could see Verdugo was losing badly.

Peach led Mario back to the sublevels and into their room.  
"What is it you wanted to show me?" Mario asked.  
"This," Peach said, motioning towards an old piece of paper on the desk. "Come take a look."  
Mario walked over and looked at the paper. He recognized it immediately. "Hey, isn't this that map that Toadsworth found in the castle storeroom at the end of the game?"  
Peach looked at him curiously. "What game?"  
"Never mind..." Mario said.  
"Well, anyway, yes. This is that map. I don't remember packing it in my suitcase before we came, but I just found it in there earlier today. I figure maybe we can look at it while we have it."  
"But Peach, we've looked at it already! We've tried to find where it leads, but nothing on the map is labeled. All it shows is a bunch of random, unnamed landmasses and an 'X' on one of them. Didn't we give up the search already? Nothing on the map is clear at all..."  
"Nothing on the map _was_ clear," Peach said quietly, "But look at THAT..."

Mario leaned in closer and looked at the spot where Peach pointed.  
The landmass where the 'X' was drawn now had a name. In neat cursive writing was the word _Morteva_.  
"Oh wow..." Mario said. "The treasure is actually on Morteva? The place this boat is headed right now??"  
"Yup." Peach said. "And that's not all. Check this out..."  
Peach turned the Map over, and written on the back was a poem that Mario knew hadn't been there before. He read it aloud to himself...

_**Protector of the Sky  
Grounded by the eye  
Of the ever-growing beast  
Which the light is its feast...  
**_

_**Born from dark hearts  
We seize the Gods' arts  
We live to see die  
The Protector of the Sky...**_

"Hmm..." Mario thought to himself. "That sure is an... interesting poem."  
"I know." Peach said. "Creepy, isn't it? I wonder who wrote it..."  
"I kinda wonder what exactly is the _'_Protector of the Sky', too..."  
"And who does the 'we' refer to?"  
"I dunno, but whoever they are, they really have a problem with this 'Protector of the Sky'..."

An idea came to Peach just then. "Say, Mario? Don't you think it's a really odd coincidence that all this has appeared on the map at the same time we're actually going to the place where the map points to?"  
"Yeah, I was thinking about that. Of course, we wouldn't even be here right now if Vivian hadn't gotten us on the boat in the first place..."  
Peach then grew nervous. "Mario... I'm kind of worried. This all seems too coincidental. Do you think Vivian is trying to... lure us into trouble?"  
Mario was offended that Peach would even think that. "Of course not! Vivian's our friend. She'd never do that! Besides, she got those boarding passes in a letter from an anonymous person. They said they'd meet us when we docked at Morteva."  
"OK." said Peach. "Maybe that guy has some answers... but still, I'm worried."  
Mario didn't say anything, but he was secretly a little worried, too. He took the Map and began to read The Poem over again. He tried to memorize it, for he could tell its words were hiding a message that would become crucial to know later on...

* * *

Goombella and Bobbery were lounging around by the pool. Goombella was working on her tan, and Bobbery was just kicking his feet in the water. Goombella took off her sunglasses for a minute to reach for her bottle of lotion when she saw the hottest human guy she'd ever seen walking towards her (What he looks like is up to you to decide!). Stunned, she immediately laid back down and pretended she didn't see him.  
"Hey," she heard the guy say.  
"Huh?" Goombella said, acting surprised. "Are you talking to me?"  
"Yeah," the guy said. "Listen, can ask you somethin'?"  
"What is it?"  
"You, umm... you're friends with Vivian, right?"  
Goombella suddenly felt extremely disappointed. This guy obviously just wanted to talk to Vivian. But hey, she was delighted to help hook Vivian up with this guy! Or rather, she _would_ have been delighted...  
"You wanna know where she is?"  
"Yeah..." he replied.  
"I'm sorry, but she woke up totally sick this morning. She looked really bad, so she's still in bed, I'm sure."  
"Oh..." the guy moaned. "Umm... well, that's cool. I mean, cuz... I'm training to be a doctor... yeah, that's right. I can, err... take care of her."  
"Awww, that's so sweet! She'd LOVE that! OK then, she's in Room 666. You can use my key to get in. It's right there on my towel."  
"Alright. Thanks a lot!" He picked the key up. "You know, you're pretty cute for a Goomba."  
She could feel her face turning red. "Heehee! Thanks. I'm Goombella."  
"Nice," he said. "I'm Atlan."  
"Wow, cool name!" Goombella said shyly.  
He laughed ."Well, thanks again, Goombella. Later!" He then began walking towards the sublevel staircase.

Once he was gone, Goombella sighed and daydreamed. Wow, Vivian was a pretty lucky girl to have a guy like THAT taking care of her!  
Bobbery had been listening the whole time, and when Atlan was gone, he immediately began laughing. "Aye, girls your age are so funny! All it takes is a fine-looking young man to make you totally senseless! Hahaha!!"  
Goombella looked at him, annoyed. However, she knew that what he'd said was totally true.

* * *

Flurrie and Ms Mowz were walking along the pool deck together. Ms Mowz was eating a vanilla ice cream cone, and Flurrie was eating a piece of lettuce.  
Ms Mowz scorned. "Honestly, Flurrie! You're on vacation! Why not let yourself go a little bit? Have some ice cream, or chocolate, or pie or something!"  
"Ugh," Flurrie said, munching her lettuce. "Just hearing those words makes me feel fat. Besides, I've already lost so much weight, it'd be a shame to have it all just come back again!"  
"Well for goodness sake, how can someone made of paper be fat? Can't you just turn a little sideways to look thinner?"  
"No, because when I turn, I may look thinner to some people, but I'm still large to others! It's paper optics, Ms Mowz."  
"Oh, whatever. I'm just saying, you should at least take the opportunity to eat a few delicious junky things while you can. Unlike poor Vivian... I don't think she'll be able to eat for a while - she almost gagged this morning. Poor girl is so sick..."  
"I know, it's terrible. Sick on a cruise ship. Talk about cruel fate... Is it motion sickness perhaps?"  
"I don't think so. I mean, I'm no nurse by any means, but it seemed FAR worse than just that."  
"Well, I do hope she gets better. Maybe I _should_ have one ice cream cone, for Vivian's sake!"

However, Ms Mowz wasn't listening. "Oh, Flurrie! Look over there! Look at that boy Goombella is talking to!"  
Flurrie looked over and saw an extremely handsome young man talking to Goombella as she lay by the poolside. "Oh, wow. Goombella's got herself a winner there!"  
They watched from afar as Goombella motioned towards something on her towel. The guy picked it up, said a few more things, then began to walk towards the sublevel staircase.  
"Did she just give him her room key??" Ms Mowz asked in disbelief.  
"I believe so!" Flurrie said. "But Goombella knows Vivian is sick in there! Didn't she tell him?"  
"I don't see why Goombella would forget..."  
Flurrie got a sly look on her face. "Wanna follow him?"  
Ms Mowz giggled. "My goodness, you're talking like a high school girl!"  
"Aren't we all at heart?"  
"Hmm... I suppose. Let's go!"

Staying a good distance away, they followed the guy down the stairs to the lower levels and outside the door to Room 666. They peeked around the hallway corner and watched as he clumsily tried to open the door with the key.  
"Hmm... that is one fine specimen of a man! He gives me butterflies!" Flurrie said.  
Ms Mowz nodded with a smile. "Who do you think is more handsome - this boy or Mario?"  
"Hmm... well, I'd say this boy, just because he's younger and has a great body. Though... in terms of age, I'd have to go with Mario."  
"My thoughts exactly. But you know, even older women like us still like to look at those hunky young boys once in a while!"  
They both chuckled amongst themselves.

At that moment, the guy finally got the key in right and opened the door. Once he slipped through, Ms Mowz and Flurrie ran up to the door just as it closed. _"Hello... you're Vivian, right...?"_,was the last thing they heard before it shut.  
"So, the boy just wanted to talk to Vivian after all, hm?" Ms Mowz practically whispered.  
"I suppose. I have to admit, though, that Vivian has got to be just the cutest thing I've ever seen. Oh, I don't think even I was ever that beautiful..."  
"Mmmm... isn't it strange? Vivian is so much prettier than us, yet she's probably a couple hundred years older!"  
"Oh, I KNOW! Isn't that just the weirdest thing?"

Flurrie happened to look down and saw something on the floor. "Oh, what's this now?" She reached down and picked it up. It looked like a magazine clipping. "Oh," she told herself. "It's just part of an article on Merluvlee's cleavage..."  
Ms Mowz was looking at the back of it. "Wait, Flurrie! Look at the other side!" She took the clipping out of Flurrie's hand, turned it around and handed it back to her. On the other side was the picture of the same man they had been following minutes before. He was in a very manly pose.  
"Well, this is strange. Isn't this that man we just saw?"  
"I think so... do you think he's perhaps some sort of famous model that happens to be on the same boat as us?"  
"Maybe. But even so, a man that carries a magazine snippet of himself is just SO low class!"  
"Yes I know! Though... could he have been carrying that around for another reason?"  
"Like what?"  
"Err... I don't know. Just thinking irrationally. But still, he's been in there alone with Vivian for about 5 minutes now. What do you think they're doing in there?"  
"I'm not sure, but whatever it is, I'll bet Vivian's feeling better already, being alone in a room with a boy like him!"

Just then, they heard the sound of a door opening. They turned around and saw the door to Room 667 open. Peach, who was holding a piece of paper, and Mario walked out. They were both surprised to see Flurrie and Ms Mowz standing in the hallway.  
"Flurrie? Ms Mowz? What are you two doing here?" Mario asked.  
"Just chillin'," Ms Mowz said coolly.  
Peach glanced at the paper in her hand. "Well, is Vivian feeling OK? We really need to ask her something..."  
"No," Flurrie said glumly. "She's still very sick as far as we know, but some gorgeous stud just went in there a few minutes ago and the two haven't come out since!"  
"Oh, really? Well if she has a guest, it might not be a good time..." Mario said.  
"Oh, it's nothing!" Peach argued. "The guy's probably just a doctor! He won't mind if we go in and talk to her." She then turned to Flurrie and Ms Mowz. "Do either of you have your key to the room?"  
"I have mine," Ms Mowz said. "But I don't know if you want to disturb them right now. Part of me thinks he's no doctor..."  
"Yeah. He's a model, see?" Flurrie showed Peach and Mario the magazine clipping.  
"What about Merluvlee's cleavage?" Mario asked, confused.  
"Oh, whoops!" Flurrie giggled, turning the paper around.  
"Oh, wow... he's hot!" Peach exclaimed. Mario kind of looked away when she said that.  
"So, you still wanna just barge in there and talk to her?" Ms Mowz asked. "I personally think they should have some privacy."  
"Hmm... I'm not sure what to do," Flurrie wondered.

Mario, Peach, Flurrie and Ms Mowz all stood outside Room 666, wondering if it'd be better to just walk in or simply listen from behind the door.  
"Let's just listen," Mario said. "I do think Vivian and that guy deserve their privacy..."  
"If they deserve their privacy, why do you want to listen?" Peach asked slyly.  
"Uh... errr... You know what I mean!" Mario blurted.  
"Oh, I agree! let's just listen a wee bit," Flurrie insisted. "I don't want to disturb the two, but I just HAVE to nourish my curiosity!"  
"Yeah," Ms Mowz said. "Besides, we'll get a chance to see if the guy's single!"  
Peach, Flurrie, and Ms Mowz all bunched up near the door and listened. Mario hesitated a bit, then finally joined them. All four listened to the muffled voices from beyond the door...

Atlan sat himself in the plastic stool beside Vivian's bed. Vivian lay there, with one hand on her stomach and one on her forehead. Her face was a darker shade of purple than normal, and her cheeks were no longer rosy as they once were. However, she'd been able to smile faintly, seeing as she now had the aid - and loving company - of Atlan.  
"How you feelin', Viv?"  
"Not a whole lot better than when you asked me 2 minutes ago!" she laughed.  
He laughed too. "Hey, I'm just a little worried, that's all. Now, uhh... open your mouth. I wanna take your temperature."  
Vivian opened her mouth. Atlan took a thermometer from his pocket and put it under her tongue. He waited a few seconds and then pulled it out. It almost seemed like he had a bit of difficulty reading it, but he finally announced, "Umm... 201.4 degrees."  
"WHAT??" Vivian exclaimed. "My fever's THAT high?? I should be dead right now!!"  
"Huh?! Oh, wait!..." Atlan said, fumbling with the thermometer. "For a second I thought the red part meant something different. Let's see, umm... 98.6 degrees."  
"Oh, OK..." Vivian sighed, relieved.  
"Sorry, I did say I'm only _training_ to be a doctor."  
"Right, that's OK," Vivian said, smiling a bit.

Atlan stuck the thermometer in his pocket and folded his hands. "Well, you're temperature's normal... right?"  
"Yeah," Vivian said.  
"But you say your head and body hurt?"

"Yeah..."  
"Can you describe this pain you feel everywhere?"  
"Well," Vivian began, "It almost feels like... something's living inside of me. Like... something within me that's the same size as me... I know, that's a really weird description, but that's actually almost exactly what it feels like..."  
"No, not weird at all. Very descriptive," Atlan said, writing something on his notepad. He then reached into his other pocket and pulled out a stethoscope. "OK, now I'm gonna measure your heartbeat."  
"My... heartbeat?" Vivian asked.  
"Of course." But Atlan then looked a bit unsure. "Uhh... that IS what this thing is for, right?"  
When he saw Vivian staring at him like he was stupid, he then began to laugh, as though at his own joke. Vivian, reassured, laughed too.  
"Alright, now let me just listen here..."  
"No, wait. Atlan, I really don't think you should-"

But Atlan had already pressed the end of the stethoscope on Vivian's chest. He waited for several seconds, almost a minute, but he heard nothing.  
"Ummm..." he wondered. "I'm pretty sure I'm pressing on the right spot..."  
"I think you are," Vivian said lowly.  
He pressed harder, moving the scope around slowly, but still hearing nothing.  
"Well," he said with a chortle, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you didn't have a heart!"  
Vivian pulled her hat down a little. "...I don't."  
Atlan looked at her, confused. "...But, how can you not have a heart? All living things have hearts, as far as I know."  
"I'm not a natural living thing," she said. "I'm a Shadow Siren. Shadow Sirens don't have hearts..."

Atlan could tell she was feeling a bit glum, so he put his stethoscope away. He then put his hand on her forehead. "Vivian, you're gonna be OK. It's just, uhh... good old-fashioned sea sickness. Just drink some water, eat some healthy food, and, umm... if you have to gag, do it over the side of the boat!"  
Vivian giggled. "Hmhmm... thank you, Atlan. You've been really nice."  
"Hey, glad to help," he said. He then moved his hand from Vivian's forehead and rested it on her hand. "You know, you're... really pretty."  
She turned her head towards him, and her sick frown became a weak smile. "Really?"  
"Yeah... You gettin' off at Morteva?"  
"Mmmm... yes..."  
Alan could tell she was very tired. "Let's meet up when we get there. You'll be all better by then!" He then took his hand and slipped it under her curl of hair. "C'mon beautiful, let me see those eyes..."  
He used his fingers to gently move her hair aside, and when he did, he lost his heart at once.  
He found himself staring into the most beautiful bluish-purple eyes he'd ever seen. The way they sparkled... it was almost hypnotic. He could've leaned in and kissed her right there...

Vivian could see that Atlan was beginning to succumb to the seducing effects of her eyes. She hated to do it, but she quickly brought her hand up and covered her eyes up again. Atlan appeared to snap out of a trance after that. "Oh! Uh... s-sorry."  
"It's OK," Vivian said. "Listen, you'd better go. I really need to sleep."  
"Yeah, get lots of sleep..."  
"Alright. Thank you Atlan."  
"No problem, Viv." He then got up to leave. "Get better, OK? See you later, dollface."  
"OK, good-bye..."

* * *

Flurrie, Ms Mowz, Peach, and Mario had been listening beyond the door for several minutes now.

_"Vivian, you're gonna be OK. It's just, uhh... good old-fashioned sea sickness. Just drink some water, umm... eat some healthy food, and... if you have to gag, do it over the side of the boat!"_

_"Hmhmm... thank you, Atlan..."_

"Hmm..." Ms Mowz thought. "This 'Atlan' fellow... I guess he really IS a doctor after all."  
"But then why would he be in a magazine snippet like this?" Flurrie asked aloud, looking at the picture in her hand.  
"Who cares!" Ms Mowz said. "That means he's available!"  
Mario just shook his head. "Well, you figured out what you wanted, right? So, I think we ought to just leave 'em alone now."  
"No, wait!" Peach said. "Quick, come listen!"

_"You know, you're... really pretty."  
"Really?"  
"Yeah. You gettin' off at Morteva?"  
"Mmmm... yes..."  
"Let's meet up when we get there. You'll be all better by then!"_

"Oooooooooo!!" Flurrie and Ms Mowz exclaimed simultaneously.  
"Looks like Vivian got herself a helluva date!" Peach said with a laugh.  
"It's too bad that the two are sort of digging one another," Ms Mowz said, "But still... could you not be happier for our little Vivian?"  
But Mario was getting a wee bit annoyed. "That's wonderful, but really, her relationships are her own business."  
"Oh, Mario!" Flurrie said. "Let us be curious!" She and the other two girls stuck their ears by the door again, but Mario just chose to stand by.

_"It's OK. Listen, you'd better go. I really need to sleep."  
"Yeah, get lots of sleep..."  
"Alright. Thank you Atlan."  
"No problem Viv. Get better, OK? See you later, dollface."  
"OK, good-bye..."_

"Uh-oh..." That was the only thing Peach managed to say before the room door suddenly swung open. Atlan was daydreaming so much that he'd pretty much closed the door before he realized Flurrie, Ms Mowz, Peach and Mario all standing around him, staring curiously. He suddenly stiffened, as though he had just done something horribly wrong. It was a very awkward moment indeed.

Flurrie then handed him the magazine clipping. "Umm... excuse me sir, but I think you dropped this."  
Atlan looked at it and suddenly became very wide-eyed. He snatched it and stuffed it in his pocket. "Thank you Flur-, uh, umm... ma'am!" He then quickly squeezed between Ms Mowz and Peach and walked hurriedly down the hall.  
As Atlan passed Mario, he gave him a very strange look. It appeared to Mario that Atlan recognized him... like from a bad memory or something. It made Mario very uneasy. Before he could say anything, though, Atlan was gone.

"Well, he was a pretty timid fellow..." Ms Mowz said.  
"You think we should go in and talk to Vivian?" Flurrie asked.  
"No!" Mario said assertively. "We've already eavesdropped and totally freaked out her, umm... friend! If you all wanna go in and bother her about it, go ahead. I'm leaving. I still gotta finish that game of House of the Dead..."  
And with that, Mario was off.  
"Well, I still have some VERY important things to ask Vivian. In private," Peach said, clutching the paper in her hands.  
"OK, well go on in and ask her, dear!" Flurrie said.  
"And do mention that Atlan boy for us, OK?" Ms Mowz exclaimed. And with that, the two were down the hall and gone.  
Peach hesitantly opened the door to Room 666. She saw Vivian in her bed, still looking absolutely dreadful. Was it really just sea sickness as Atlan had diagnosed? She sure hoped so...

She walked into the room slowly and sat down on the stool next to Vivian's bed. Vivian looked as though she was trying to sleep, but could only get her eyes closed. She would occasionally groan and hold her stomach like something was eating her insides. God, she looked terrible. It was almost heartbreaking to see the usually happy-go-lucky Vivian so sick and depressed. Peach almost considered not bothering her and just leaving her alone...  
No, she would only be a minute. She had to ask Vivian about the Map.

"Vivian?" Peach asked silently.  
"Ugghhmmm... Atlan?" she asked.  
"No, it's me. Peach."  
"Peach?" Vivian turned her head towards her. "Oh... hi Peach." She tried her best to smile.  
"Hi Vivian. How are you?"  
Vivian sighed. "...Not good."  
"Oh... Well, I hope you get better soon..." Peach knew she couldn't just continue this small talk, so she immediately got to the point. "Vivian, I have to ask you something..."  
"Hmm? What is it?"  
Peach took out the Map, unraveled it, then lay it flat on the bed. Vivian struggled to sit up so she could take a look.  
"Umm... it's a map." Vivian said quietly.  
"Yeah. Toadsworth and I found this map in the castle storeroom, but when we found it, all it showed was a bunch of unnamed landmasses, with an X on one of them..."  
"Mmhmm..." Vivian moaned, nodding.  
"But now, the landmass where the X is now labeled Morteva."  
"Oh," Vivian said, intrigued, but still confused.  
"And not only that, but this poem just appeared on the back too..." She turned the Map over so Vivian could read The Poem. When Vivian saw the words, she brought her hand up to her forehead and plopped back down. "Oh... Peach, the letters all just look like blurs to me..."  
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll read it to you." Knowing that Vivian's illness probably made her intolerable of high volume, she recited The Poem in a low, quiet voice...

"Protector of the Sky,  
Grounded by the eye  
Of the ever-growing beast  
Which the light is its feast...  
Born from dark hearts,  
We seize the gods' arts,  
We live to see die  
The Protector of the Sky..."

Vivian nodded with each line Peach read. When Peach was finished, Vivian began to think really hard.  
"...Strange poem, isn't it?" Peach asked.

Vivian then turned her head. "Peach... what does any of this have to do with me?"  
Peach could sense some impatience in her voice. "I'm sorry, it's just, well... it seems like such a strange coincidence that these words would appear on the map while were actually taking a boat to the place that the map points to..."  
"Yeah..." Vivian grumbled.  
"So... I was wondering if it had anything to do with the letter and the boarding passes you got in the mail. You say you received them from an anonymous person... do you have any idea who?"  
"No."  
"That seems kind of suspicious, doesn't it? I mean... you claim you have no idea who sent this letter to you, and you invite everyone onto this cruise ship, then these messages appear, and..."  
Vivian then sat up, angry. "Are you implying that I'm deceiving all of you? That I'm trying to lead you all into trouble or something?!"  
"No, not at all! I was just curious..."

"Peach, just go. I'm really sick, I'm really tired, and I'm really over this whole map thing. I'll admit, this is all a really weird, but... I know nothing about it and I have nothing to do with it! Now just leave me alone! Please!!"  
"Vivian, really. I hate to bother you, but if you could just-"  
"GET THE HELL OUT!!"

Vivian's anger made Peach's heart swell with guilt and fear. She was so surprised that she quickly nodded, snatched the Map, and hurried out of the room without another word.  
Once Peach was gone, Vivian groaned and plopped back down again, shedding a tear before forcing herself to try and sleep. Indeed, the Map's symbols were very mysterious, and The Poem was even stranger still. In the end, though, the last thing she thought about before dozing off was Atlan...

Doopliss ran into his room, smiling from ear to ear. "W00t!! OMG it worked!" He happily jumped on his bed and sighed. "I KNEW this was a brilliant idea!"  
Doopliss held up the picture of the male model that he had found in a magazine in the ship's lobby. Knowing it was the perfect plan to talk to Vivian, he had ripped it out and used all his Duplighost-ness to take the guy's shape. He then snuck into the infirmary and stole a thermometer and a stethoscope, because he thought the whole "training to be a doctor" story would help snag Vivian's respect much faster. Then, when he found out that Vivian was actually sick in her room... OH BABY! The time he spent in there taking care of Vivian had been the greatest moment of his sad life!

Oh yeah, it really had been. His little doctor charade didn't go over so well, but still... he had rubbed her hair, touched her hand, spoken to her so gently... Damn, it was nice! And those eyes... Jesus, when he saw those eyes, he knew his life was headed in a better direction from then on. They were that magical, really. Honestly, could things have been more PERFECT!?

_"Looks like things are finally looking up for old Doopliss...!"  
_  
However, while the event had been absolutely beautiful on the outside, deep down, it really made him very sad. Seeing Vivian so sick... How could he have told her it was just sea sickness?? For God's sake, she looked like she was dying! Seeing her that way just made his heart break...

There was also something way deep down that didn't really surface. Vivian only saw Atlan... but she would never know it was Doopliss. Was it really the same? Could Doopliss really say that Vivian was falling for him? Doopliss? Or just Atlan...  
Doopliss thought about this for a second, but it never really bothered him. At the time, he was still delighted that he'd finally talked to her in a friendly way, even if Vivian didn't know it was him...

* * *

The rest of the night went smoothly. Everyone ate their dinner of Cheep-Cheep Caviar and Shroom Brulee (without Vivian, of course) and spent the rest of the night mostly chillin' by the pool and just doing their own thing. The next day, they would arrive at Morteva.  
And their adventure would truly begin...

At about 11 o'clock that night, everyone happened to meet up at the bar and began to just sit about and talk.  
"So, what'd everyone do today?" Mario asked.  
"Well," Koops said. "Bobbery, Verdugo and I had a contest to see who could lean over the side of the boat most without chickening out."  
"Agh, you chaps had an advantage there!" Bobbery complained. "You have arms to help keep your balance!"  
"Who won?" Goombella wondered.  
"Verdugo," Koops and Bobbery announced simultaneously.  
Verdugo held his head up, proud. "I fell off two times!"

Goombella then smiled. "Well... I don't think the boys would be too interested to hear about this, but... girls, I met the HOTTEST guy today!"  
Flurrie and Ms Mowz looked at one another and giggled. "You mean that 'Atlan' boy?"  
Goombella's eyes went wide. "What? How'd you guys know??"  
"We met him too!" Flurrie said. "Ms Mowz, Peach, Mario and I! He's a doctor and went to take care of Vivian."  
"I know, that lucky bitch!" Ms Mowz laughed playfully. "I ought to pretend I'm sick tomorrow morning so I can get him to take care of ME! I do hope he would before we have to dock tomorrow..."  
"What happened between Vivian and Atlan?" Goombella asked, extremely curious.  
"I think they arranged for a date when we get off at Morteva!" Flurrie cried.  
"Omigosh! Seriously?? She is SOOO lucky!"  
"Well, you know what? Good for her," Ms Mowz said. "She's a good girl. She deserves a good man like him. Speaking of which, I do hope she feels better by tomorrow..."  
"Yeah, me too." Everyone said simultaneously.

Everyone held up their glasses of wine (milk for Verdugo) and gave a toast. "To Vivian," Mario said. "We wouldn't all be here right now if not for her."  
"To Vivian..." they all said. They tinked their glasses together and drank.

By midnight, everyone was about to get ready for bed. They all stood outside their three rooms, ready to say goodnight.  
"You know what?" Goombella said. "I don't wanna disturb Vivian. Girls, why don't we just get some spare blankets from the maid and sleep on the floor of the guys' room?" Everyone agreed it was a good idea.

Koops happened to be standing near the door to the Room 666 when he heard noises coming from beyond. "Umm... guys? I think I hear something going on in there. Maybe Vivian's not asleep?"  
"I wouldn't risk it," Peach said. "Even if she isn't... she was feeling REALLY grouchy earlier today."

"Well," Mario said. "I don't wanna wake her if she's asleep, but if she is awake..." He held up a glass of wine that he had been holding. "I think maybe some light alcohol will do her some good."  
"OK," Peach said. "She might be awake, but who wants to go in and give it to her?"

Verdugo walked up to Mario and reached up for the glass. "_I_ can give it to her!"  
"Umm... aren't you a little young to be handling alcohol?" Mario asked.  
"No! I'm not gonna DRINK it!" he protested.  
"Well, OK... but Vivian's probably still a little cranky, so try not to bother her too much, alright?"  
"OK! It's not that big a deal!" he said. He took the glass in his hand. "I'll be careful. I promise."  
"Alright." Mario stretched his arms and yawned. "Well, I'm ready to hit the sack."  
"Me too," Peach said. "Let's go to bed Mario. Good night everybody!" The two then walked into Room 667 and closed the door.

"So, you ladies are sleeping in our room, then?" Bobbery asked.  
Goombella, Flurrie, and Ms Mowz all nodded, too tired and buzzed to respond.  
"That's cool," said Koops. "I think we actually have some spare blankets in the closet, so no need to ask the maid." He then turned to Verdugo, who was still holding the drink. "You gonna join us when you give that to Vivian?"

"Yup!" he said enthusiastically.  
"Alright then," Goombella said. She handed Verdugo her room key. "Don't knock. Just go in. If she's asleep, you can just leave the wine by her bed. If she's awake, well... I'm sure she won't mind if you just give it to her."

Verdugo accepted the key. "Alright, cool."

Koops then used his key to open the door to Room 668 and walked in. Everyone followed behind, and once they were all in, the door slammed shut. Verdugo was left standing in the hallway alone, with the glass of wine in his hands. He looked down at the liquid in the glass. "I wonder what this stuff tastes like...?" he wondered to himself. He slowly and steadily lowered his long tongue into the wine, and the second he got some on his tongue, he brought it quickly up into his mouth. Upon swallowing it, he nearly gagged. "YEEEECH! Oggghhh... Geez, how do the grown-ups drink this stuff!? It tastes like medicine... mixed with crap!" He wisely decided not to try any more after that.

Verdugo walked over to the door to Room 666 and listened. Indeed, someone was moving around in there. Vivian really wasn't asleep after all! He took out the key and was ready to insert it into the lock, when suddenly, every light in the hallway, one by one, went out. He was left in the dark, and although he was ashamed to admit it, he was still just a baby, and was kind of scared of the dark.  
"But that's OK," he told himself. "Vivian's real nice. She'll make me feel better and tell me there's nothing to be afraid of!..."

Verdugo inserted the key into the lock, turned it, and heard the latch unlock. He then reached up for the doorknob. However, as he did, his vision suddenly became blurry. He felt really light-headed and almost toppled over. "What the he-? What's up with me tonight, man??" He shook his head several times, let his tongue hang out, and stood still trying to take deep breaths. After several minutes, he finally felt fine again. Not 100, but good enough. "Whoa... that was freaky..." he said. He took one more disgusted look at the wine in his hands before reaching for the doorknob once again.

Verdugo opened the door slowly and carefully until it was all the way open. The room was very dark, and his eyes were still in the process of adjusting to the darkness. However, he could still hear that sound. It sounded like a faint breeze, accompanied by... whispers? Sure sounded like it. The noise was beginning to make him feel nervous, so he called out quietly, "Vivian...?"

Verdugo took a few steps into the room, holding the glass in both hands. He was shaking pretty badly, and it seemed like the incessant sounds were echoing louder as if in response to his growing anxiety. "Vivian?" he called out again.  
When his eyes finally began to adjust, he saw something moving in the middle of the room. Scared, he closed his eyes and opened them again. Whatever it was, it looked like something large and wavy...  
Verdugo blinked several times, closed his eyes tightly for a few seconds, and opened them again. That did the trick. He could now see a bit more clearly in the dark ahead of him...

Vivian was standing in the middle of the room, her back facing him. She stood with her arms limp at her sides. And her hair... her hair was flitting about, like some unfelt gale was blowing them about in slow motion. It almost seemed witchlike. Verdugo wasn't sure whether to be happy to see her or fucking freaked out. He held up the glass in his shaking hand, and said in a voice barely above a whisper, "Vivian? I have something for you..."  
When Vivian didn't answer, he took another step closer. He then realized that Vivian was staring into a mirror. Curious, he slowly leaned his body over sideways so that maybe he could catch her reflection in the mirror. Seeing past her freakishly waving hair, Vivian's face slowly came into view.

Her mouth was twitched into a sharp-toothed grin and her eyes glowed red like bloody fire.  
Her eyes then shifted, as though she saw Verdugo's reflection in the mirror.  
When Verdugo saw that, his eyes grew wide with fright and he screamed. Vivian whirled around and hissed wickedly at him, her demon eyes piercing his very soul.  
She then opened her mouth so wide it was like a snake unhinging its jaw...  
And from her throat escaped a devilish face, shrouded in black mist, heading straight for him!

Verdugo totally lost it. He dropped the wine glass from his hands, screamed and ran out the door. He didn't hear the glass land on the ground, but that was the least of his concerns. He ran over to the door of Room 668, running in such panic he nearly crashed into it. He widely pounded his tiny fists on the door. "Help! Help me! Open up!! Hurry!! OPEN UP!!"  
The breezy whispering sound suddenly escaped into the hallway and shrieked louder than ever. Verdugo turned his head and saw the horrible face, riding a stream of black mist, coming through Vivian's door and into the hallway. It turned and began to advance towards him, screeching like a banshee.  
Verdugo began to cry and pounded on the door like a total madman. "OPEN THE DOOR OPEN THE DOOR OPEN THE DOOR!!" he cried at the top of his lungs.

Finally, the door opened slowly from within. He used his paper-ness to squeeze through the second the opening was large enough, and proceeded to run into the room crying and screaming. He ran past Koops, who had opened the door for him, and accidentally tripped over Ms Mowz, who was sleeping on the floor. He tumbled several feet, then began rolling on the ground, covering his eyes, screaming uncontrollably.

"Verdugo? What the hell happened?!" Everyone ran up and gathered around, trying to calm the crying baby Yoshi down, but he was utterly inconsolable. "NO! NOOO! Don't kill me! Don't let it KILL ME!!" His tears were soaking the carpet, and his wild kicking was keeping everyone that tried to help him at bay.  
Koops finally went in close and gave Verdugo a fresh slap on the face.  
"Holy crap! IT SLAPPED ME!!"  
"What are you talking about, Verdugo? It's just me!"

Verdugo suddenly calmed down and opened his teary eyes. "K-Koops?" he asked, surprised. He looked around and saw Bobbery, Flurrie, Ms Mowz and Goombella all standing around him, looking extremely confused and concerned. "Wha-wha... where'd it go?"  
Flurrie opened her arms. "It's OK, Verdugo darling," she said softly. "It's just us. We're here for you."  
He promptly leapt up into her arms. She embraced him and cradled him softly as he continued to sob. "It was horrible!" he cried. "H-horrible..."

Mario and Peach then came running in, woken up by all the noise. "What the heck's going on in here?" Mario asked.

He then saw Verdugo crying in Flurrie's arms, and right away, he knew something wasn't right. Verdugo _never_ cried, and NO ONE would want Flurrie to hug 'em like that! "Verdugo, what happened?! Are you OK?!"  
Verdugo was blubbering too much to speak properly... "M-m... m-m... m-_monster!_" was the only word he managed to blurt out.  
"Where??" Peach asked. "In Vivian's room?"  
As Verdugo's crying began to soften, he nodded slowly. Mario ran into the hallway and saw the door to Vivian's room was open. Walking quickly, yet alert, he stopped right outside the door and flattened himself against the wall. He then quickly jumped in front of the door and looked in.  
He saw nothing.  
Examining a bit further, Mario found Vivian sound asleep in her bed.

What could Verdugo possibly have seen? Vivian was just asleep, and he certainly didn't see anything else in the room that could've looked like a monster. In fact, Mario looked at the plastic stool near Vivian's bed, and on top of it was the wine glass that Verdugo had volunteered to leave for her.  
It was empty.

Mario became suspicious. Judging by the scene, the only explanation could be that Vivian had been awake, Verdugo gave the wine her, she drank it, then she feel asleep. And about this supposed 'monster'... Verdugo definitely didn't seem like he was lying. But what other explanation could there be?  
Unless Verdugo took a sip of the wine himself...

Mario walked back into the room. Verdugo had settled down now, but he was still badly shaking and everyone was around him trying to console him. When Mario reentered, Verdugo looked up at him as though asking if Mario saw the monster.

Mario thought about whether to ask Verdugo about the monster he'd seen, or if he'd drank any of the wine. He knew that this was a question of trust - Verdugo had promised not to drink any, but was he really that trustworthy? He was just a baby, after all. But then again, what if he kept his promise, and really had seen a monster? Mario wasn't sure what to think at first, but he eventually decided to give Verdugo the benefit of the doubt. "Alright... Verdugo, are you OK enough to tell us what you saw?"  
Verdugo was still breathing heavily, but he looked a little better. He nodded his head. "Yeah..."

Everyone sat silently as Verdugo described the scene he'd seen in Vivian's room. "Well, I used Goombella's key to get into the room, and it was really dark in there, so I couldn't see a thing... but then, I saw Vivian standing there..."  
Mario was about to object, for he'd seen Vivian sound asleep in her bed when he checked just a minute before, but he restrained himself and let Verdugo continue.  
"...I called to her, but she didn't say anything. Her hair was flying around all weird, like she it was underwater or something. So anyway, I saw she was looking in a mirror, so I leaned over to see her reflection, right? And when I do, I see her eyes are all red and she's got sharp teeth like a vampire! Then she turns around, opens her mouth, and this freaky face comes out of her throat and starts chasing me! I ran the hell outta there and banged on the door, but the face followed me! Then Koops opened the door and I ran in. That's what happened..."

When Verdugo was finished, everyone in the room began to whisper and talk amongst themselves. The room was filled with feelings of fear.

"Vivian tried to kill you?" Goombella asked.  
"Is she alright?" Bobbery wondered.  
"Are you saying Vivian was the monster? Or the face that came out of her throat?" Flurrie inquired.

Everyone was throwing questions at Verdugo left and right, and trying to keep up answering them was just making him nervous again.

"QUIET!" Mario ordered. Everyone immediately did so. Mario walked up to Verdugo and knelt down beside him. "Verdugo, I have just one question... What did you do with the wine when Vivian attacked you?"

Verdugo tried to remember. "I... I dropped it. Yeah. When the scary face came after me, I dropped it and got my ass outta there."  
"But Verdugo, I just went in there, and I saw Vivian sound asleep in her bed... and ON TOP of that, I saw the wine glass sitting on the stool by her bed... empty."  
Verdugo looked up at him, confused. "What? But, that can't be true! You're lying! You don't believe me! ...Wait, wait! I remember when I dropped the glass, I didn't hear it land! Maybe Vivian caught it or something and drank it and..."

As Verdugo rambled, Mario smelled a hint of alcohol in his breath. "Verdugo, did you drink the wine?"  
"...Uh, yeah. I had a little. It tasted like crap! How can you guys LIKE that stuff!? Anyway, maybe she caught it and-"  
"Verdugo... I told you not to drink any of the wine! You're too young for it!"  
"What?! I am not!"  
"Yes you are! It can have a VERY hard effect on someone as young as you. It can even make you see things."  
"...S-see things?"  
"Yeah, weird things. Maybe even... a monster."

Verdugo looked up at Mario in wonder. "...You think maybe there was no monster? That I just saw it cuz I drank some of the wine?"  
"I'm sure of it."

Verdugo sighed a sigh of relief. "Whew! That makes me feel better..."  
Mario stood up. "Well good. I'm glad we cleared that up. OK then, I think we all need some sleep. Tomorrow's the big day!"  
Everyone agreed and began to get ready for bed. Mario and Peach said goodnight to everyone and walked to their room. In room 668, where everyone else slept, they all said goodnight and turned the lights off.

But Verdugo still lay in his bed, looking up at the ceiling. Maybe the monstrous Vivian he'd seen really had been a hallucination? But still, it didn't make sense. What he SAW maybe wasn't real, but what he DID was. He really dropped the wine, and he didn't hear it land, and Mario claimed he'd seen the glass empty next to Vivian's bed. It just didn't add up...  
However, before he went mad thinking about it, he fell asleep.

Mario and Peach were walking to their room when Mario took a long hard look at the door to Room 666, where Vivian slept. It was still open.  
"Oh Mario..." Peach said. "It's OK. Verdugo just had a little drink and saw something that scared him, that's all."  
"Probably," Mario said. "But something's still not right. he said he dropped the glass... How could it end up empty on Vivian's stool? Maybe Verdugo's screaming woke her up, she saw the wine glass on the ground, picked it up, put it on the stool, and went back to bed? I really don't know..."  
"So what are you gonna do then? Peach asked.  
Without answering her, Mario carefully walked into Vivian's room. Staying as close to the door as possible, he looked over at Vivian in her bed. She was still sleeping soundly.

But that's not what Mario went in there to see, or rather, to look for. He got on his knees and examined the carpet. He felt all around on the ground with his hands, being sure not to miss a single square inch. He was looking for a stain. A wine stain. If he found one, his hypothesis could prove to be at least possible.

However, he found none.  
If Verdugo had really dropped the wine, but there was no stain on the ground... what could have happened? Could Vivian really have caught it in mid-air, drank it, and went to bed? But she'd have been awake when Verdugo went into the room, right? Doing what? Attacking him...?

Mario was baffled and worried. He didn't want to, nay, couldn't believe Vivian would EVER attack Verdugo, or anyone for that matter. But the whole issue was just so odd...  
He took one last look at Vivian, making sure she was sound asleep, before leaving and closing the door behind him...

_BING BONG! BING BONG! _

_Attention Elation passengers! Hope you enjoyed your trip! Our next destination is lovely Morteva! We will be docking in precisely 1 hour. Weather forecast predicts sunny and clear skies all day long with an average temperature of 85 degrees. Good day and enjoy the rest of your vacation with the Elation cruise line!_

_BING BONG! BING BONG!_

The gentle sound of the bell woke Vivian up, She listened to the announcement, and she became filled with anticipation - they were going to be docking in one hour! She quickly jumped up and floated towards the table where her hat was. She picked it up, put it on, and began to reach for her key.

It was at that moment, she realized - She wasn't sick anymore. She felt great, actually! Talk about lucky! In fact, no longer worried about her health, she began to think of Atlan. He promised to see her when they got off the boat... She hoped he would. Humming merrily to herself, she grabbed her key and her boarding pass and began to head out the door. On the way, she spotted an empty wine glass on a stool near her bed.  
What was that? She hadn't left her room at all yesterday after coming back from breakfast, and she certainly didn't remember drinking any alcohol... maybe the gang had left her some? Well THAT was thoughtful! But still, she didn't remember drinking anything...  
"I must have just forgotten. I was so out of it yesterday..." she told herself. Without a second thought, she floated out the door. Once in the hall, she headed to the door of Room 667 where Mario and Peach were and knocked. No one answered, but she heard voices from beyond the door.

_"What do you think it could mean?"  
"I don't know. It's all so strange, and the incident last night just makes it all so much weirder..."  
"Hang on, I think someone just knocked on the door."  
"Who do you think it is?"  
"The maid, maybe?"  
"Yeah probably... umm... WE'RE BUSY RIGHT NOW! COME BACK LATER, PLEASE!"  
_

Vivian wondered what they were talking about, but she decided to leave them alone for the time being. She instead floated over to Room 668's door and knocked. It turned out it was already unlocked, though. She could hear all of her friends talking on the other side, so she figured she'd join them. She opened up the door and walked in.  
The second she did, all conversation in the room suddenly stopped.

"Hi everybody!" she said happily.  
Everyone was silent for a while until Bobbery finally spoke up. "Err... why, hello Vivian. You feeling better today?"  
"Oh, yes! Much better! I woke up feeling fine!"  
"Well... that's nice to hear."  
Everyone was still looking at Vivian, not looking particularly happy to see her. In fact, she sensed some fear in all their glares.  
Vivian wanted to change the subject, though. "Umm... so, who left me the wine yesterday?"

Verdugo, who was sitting in his bed, raised his hand. "I did," he said.  
Vivian floated over to give him a hug. "Thank you Verdugo! That was really nice of you!"  
But when she got in close, he suddenly backed away.  
Vivian knew now that something was out of place here. "Umm... is something wrong?" she asked.  
Everyone looked at one another, not saying a word. Vivian was starting to feel hurt, and even a little scared. Why was everyone so afraid that she was there? Had she done something wrong?  
Koops at last broke the silence. "Sorry Vivian, we're just a little spaced out this morning. Plus, we're all just really excited that we're docking at Morteva in about an hour! Ain't that right, guys?"  
"Oh... yeah!" Everyone said.  
Vivian the room one more suspicious sweep. "Well, OK. I'm gonna go get some breakfast. Anyone wanna join me?"  
"No, that's OK..."  
"I ate already..."  
"I have gas..."  
"Oh, alright then," Vivian muttered. "See you when we dock!" She quickly floated out of the room and closed the door behind her.

A few seconds later, there was a knock at the door. Ms Mowz got up to answer it. It was Mario.  
"Hey Mario!" they all said.  
"Hey everyone. Listen, I just saw Vivian going down the hall. Was she just in here?"  
"Yeah," everyone said.  
"How was she feeling?"  
"She certainly looked a fair amount better than she did yesterday," Flurrie answered.  
"Oh, that's good. Well, I know I told you all about the whole wine stain thing earlier this morning, bu maybe I shouldn't have. I really don't believe Vivian did anything last night..."  
"Easy for you to say!" Verdugo protested. "I was hoping maybe what I saw really _was_ just a hallucination from the wine, but after hearing that, I don't think so anymore! I really think Vivian's onto us!"  
"Hey now, don't jump to conclusions, sweetie!" Ms Mowz told him harshly. "Being somewhat of a spy myself, I say we observe her a little while longer, acting like we would normally. If she doesn't seem to be up to something, we can assume that we've merely been mistaking up to this point."  
"And if she does...?" Goombella asked.  
"Depends on her intentions. If she really is plotting against us, then we must surprise her and do to her exactly what she plans to do to us. An eye for an eye... see what I mean?"  
"Well, if didn't know better," Verdugo said, "I'd say last night, she tried to kill me..."  
Ms Mowz looked down. "Very well. If we find any proof of betrayal on Vivian's part... we may have to do her in."  
No one liked the idea of that. It was just such an abrupt statement on Ms Mowz's part. However, they couldn't do any more or less than reluctantly nod in agreement.

"So..." Mario asked, "Should I go follow her and see what she's doing?"  
"No," Ms Mowz said. "Let her do her own thing for a while. We mustn't appear too observant of her actions. She'll grow suspicious, whether or not she's on the side of evil."  
"But what kinds of things should we look out for, hmm?" Bobbery wondered.  
"Well, it's hard to say at this point, but... there is one sure-fire way to know if an ally is truly an enemy in disguise..."  
"What?" everyone asked.  
"...If you see them condoning with or having any sort of relation with an enemy from the past, then you KNOW they are not on your side..."  
"So..." Koops asked, "If we see Vivian talking with a bad guy that we've met before, then we know she's bad?"  
"Precisely. Let's just observe, keep out eyes open, and hope we see nothing like that..."

* * *

Vivian floated gleefully towards the Elation infirmary, eating a bagel. She was hoping to see Atlan before they docked so they'd have a better chance of meeting up when they did. When she reached the door, she knocked and waited. The door then opened up, but much to Vivian's dismay, an old Toad nurse answered. "You sick?" she asked in a low, impatient voice.  
"Umm... no, thank you. I was uhh... looking for Atlan? He's a doctor on this ship, right?"  
"No honey. I'm the only medical staff on this boat. Unless this 'Atlan' guy is just another passenger, you ain't gonna find him here."  
"Oh... OK. Sorry to bother you. Thank you!"  
"Yeah, sure... oh, and by the way, I'm missing a thermometer and a stethoscope. Seen 'em?"  
"Umm... no."  
"Alright then. Keep an eye out, would you honey? Bye."

Vivian went to the bow of the ship and leaned against the rail, looking out at the water. She could see Morteva growing on the horizon. All her thoughts, though, were about Atlan.  
All this time, she'd thought he was a doctor in training that worked on the boat. She thought maybe one of her friends had reported her sick, and he just came along to help her on business. But... if he was just another passenger, how did he know to come take care of her? Unless he was actually looking for her, which was a bit of a freaky thought... The whole issue confused her, yet she still longed to see him again...

Morteva was growing closer and closer, and from this vantage point, it sure looked like a lively place.  
There also appeared to be some sort of magnificent structure floating in the sky directly over the landscape. What could that have been?

Vivian sighed and turned around to head back to the room when she saw something suddenly slip around a corner and out of view. It looked white and flowy... a towel caught in the wind, maybe? Yeah, it had to be...

When Vivian got back to the room, Goombella came running up to her. "Hey Vivian, have you heard? They're having a last-hour comedy show in lobby! Wanna go?"  
Vivian could have certainly used some comedy at the moment. "Sure! Is everyone else going?"  
"Yeah, all of us are! We were waiting for you to come along, too!"  
"Oh, OK. Let's go!"

The gang all walked to the lobby of the ship and noticed most of the seats for the comedy show were full. However, the last row was all empty. Upon closer inspection, it was noticed that the seat numbers were 101-109.

The group didn't put a whole lot of thought into who was to sit where, but they eventually all had a seat. In order from seat 101-109 was Verdugo, Koops, Goombella, Peach, Mario, Ms Mowz, Vivian, Bobbery and Flurrie. Shortly after they all sat down, the comedy show began.

The show was pretty funny overall. One of the Hammer Bro comedians told a lot of good on-liners dealing with relationships between men and women, one of the better ones being "Married men live longer than single men, but married men are usually a lot more willing to die!" Another good act was a Paratroopa who said a list of good pranks to pull on people - a particularly funny one being "Hand someone a bowl of wasabi and a spoon, and tell them it's green tea ice cream!" And yes, there was also the Toad that blew up balloons with his ass. .

Somewhere within the last ten minutes of the show, Goombella's mind started to wander. She almost felt as though some outside entity was forcing thoughts into her head, thoughts that she wouldn't have wanted to think about...  
Suddenly, an image flashed in her mind. She saw everyone in the room, screaming in agonizing pain. Their cries rang in her ears until she was sure they would start to bleed... and then, the painful screams of all her friends beside her... And then, a horrible pain shot up her body, and the final thing she heard was her own scream sounding in her ears...

Finally, Goombella snapped back to reality. The show was almost over, but she was shaking and trembling madly at the image she had just seen in her head. It had seemed so real... yet she had no idea what it was that caused such terrible pain to everyone in the room...  
She then knew it was a premonition. Everyone in that very room was meant to suffer a horrific fate...

Koops and Peach, who were sitting beside her, noticed her shaking and sweating uncontrollably in their seat. "Goombella?" Koops asked. "Is everything alright?"  
"We have to get out of here..." Goombella said in a worried voice.  
"Why?" Peach asked. "Are you feeling OK?"  
"We have to go..." she said, hurriedly hopping out of her seat. "We have to get out of here NOW! Something terrible's gonna happen!"  
Everyone sitting in that row and even some people in the rows ahead heard her. She was totally frantic.  
"What's the matter Goombella?" Mario asked, slightly worried.  
"We have to GOOO!!" she cried, running out of the lobby and out onto the deck of the boat. All of her friends looked at one another and quickly followed her out.

Everyone found Goombella leaning against a rail, still shaking and sweating. They surrounded her and tried to make her feel better.  
"It's OK," Mario said. "It's gonna be OK..."  
"No..." Goombella said. "Everyone in there... something bad's gonna happen."  
"How do you know?" Bobbery asked.  
"I saw it... I saw something. It just flashed before my eyes. Everyone in the audience, screaming in agony... and then all of us, too... and I felt this horrible stinging pain shoot up my body... I know it was a premonition."  
"Oh Goombella," Vivian said. "Being a magical being myself, I can tell you that premonitions are usually just lapses of an overactive imagination, and never turn out to be true. Real premonitions are VERY rare, and only a few people ever get them."  
"Well I _know_ mine was real! I just know it! Don't any of you believe me?"  
No one said a word. Goombella knocked her head against the railing and sighed. Everyone could tell that something really had freaked her out a lot.

"Well, no point in going back in now," Mario said. "The show's gonna be ending soon... and besides, I kinda wanna see ourselves dock at Morteva. Speaking of which, check it out!"  
Everyone looked off the edge of the boat. About a hundred yards of ocean separated them from a vast, beautiful land with a lively port town and a humongous wild land in the distance.  
"Check out that mountain!" Verdugo cried, pointing at a huge peak that towered over the land. "It's like a volcano, but it's covered in ice! Isn't that awesome?"  
"And look at THAT glorious building, on that cliff over there!" Flurrie cried. "It looks like an ancient Greek Temple!"  
Peach was looking up in the sky when she gasped. "Oh my... look at THAT!" Peach pointed up and everyone looked.

Suspended directly overhead was an enormous tower of various grays and golds. It seemed to bask in the glory of the sunshine, and its presence appeared almost God-like. "What do you suppose THAT is?"  
"No clue," Ms Mowz said. "Sure looks like there'd be some neat badges in there, though..."  
Even as the Elation pulled into the harbor and prepared for docking, all nine of them still found themselves staring at that magnificent structure in the sky...

_BING BONG! BING BONG!  
_

_Attention passengers! We have now docked at our destination - the beautiful and serene land of Morteva! Home of the Gods themselves! (Also the world's number one supplier of pie!). Be sure to have your boarding passes handy when exiting the boat, and please be sure to have it when you come back on. If you plan on staying for a while, don't worry. The Elation makes round trips around the ocean all the time, so when you're ready to go back home, just wait for our next arrival. Until then, have fun in Morteva, and enjoy the rest of your vacation with Elation cruise lines!_

_BING BONG! BING BONG!  
_

This was it! They had arrived at Morteva at last! They were all eager to disembark and go exploring right away, but first, there was the matter of Vivian's mysterious pen pal. Whoever had sent her the letter and boarding passes was supposed to be waiting for them on the dock. He promised he'd explain everything when they arrived. It was then that everyone remembered that while they all were on vacation, they were also on important business...  
"Let's go find this guy!" Mario announced, hurrying down the stairs towards the dock. Everyone excitedly followed, without a single negative thought in all their heads...

However, on their way down, Goombella stiffened.  
And not a moment later, the sound of a hundred agonizing screams rang from within the Elation's lobby.  
Mario looked at Goombella nervously, then at the door to the lobby. The door burst open and several people ran out crying their heads off. What the hell had just happened in there??

Mario ran towards the door. "I say we go in there and see what's going on!"  
"NO!" Goombella said. "Something really bad's happening! I know it! Let's just ask one of these guys that just ran out!"  
Verdugo ran up to a crying Ratooey and wrestled him to the ground. "Alright Rat Boy! Tell me just what the HELL is going on in there! ...And why's your underwear hanging out the back of your pants? Stop your blubberin' and SAY something, dammit!"  
The Ratooey squeezed his eyes and tears leaked out from the corners. "The comedians... they... did the worst thing... EVAR!"  
"What? What did they do?!"  
"Well... every seat was installed with a secret hook in the cushion, and when the show was over... they pushed a button, and... RIP!"  
"Rip?" Mario asked. "The hooks sliced everyone open??"  
"No, worse..." the Ratooey sputtered. "They all hooked onto everyone's underwear and... gave everyone... ATOMIC WEDGIES!!"

"Oh, God..." Mario couldn't help but feel relieved, yet very disturbed at the same time. All of them did.  
"It's a good thing you guys weren't in there..." The Ratooey continued, "Those hooks lifted everyone by their undergarments about five feet off their seats!"  
"Whoa!" Verdugo said. "Wicked!"  
"Easy for you to say, bucko..." The Ratooey got to his feet and walked all funny and bow-legged. "Oh God, it hurts... I'm never riding this cruise ship again. Whoever directed THAT act needs to be shot..." And with that, he headed down the stairs. Everyone walked out of lobby holding their areas and walking funny, groaning in agony.

Flurrie looked at Goombella. "You mean to tell us you had a premonition of everyone in that room getting atomic wedgies?? And I thought it was something serious..."  
But Goombella wasn't listening. She was staring wide-eyed into space. "Oh no..." she muttered.  
"What is it Goombella? What's wrong?" Mario asked.  
She looked at everyone one by one as she spoke. "Haven't you heard? Atomic Wedgies are more than just a stupid thing that immature comedians do. They are an ancient form of punishment that trace back to the days of the Mushroomian Empire. It is said that if you manage to cheat your way out of an Atomic Wedgie, you will be marked... and an Atomic Wedgie will come to you, no matter where you run, or where you hide..."  
"Oh sure," Bobbery laughed. "Now tell me little lass, who exactly ensures that one gets an atomic wedgie?"

"_**A**_tomic _**W**_edgie. You have to capitalize it, Bobbery."  
"Err, right... So who exactly ensures that one gets an '_**A**_tomic _**W**_edgie' if they avoid one when they're meant to get it?"  
Goombella turned her head and look up into the sky. "The Atomic Wedgie God..."

"Oh!" Peach said with a smile, "So there are Gods for fire, ice, water, earth, and... Atomic Wedgies?"  
"Precisely."  
"Now honestly," said Ms Mowz, "Why are they called 'Atomic Wedgies' anyway? The word 'atomic' refers to atoms that build up our universe. I just don't see how yanking up a person's trousers relates to that."  
"It's quite simple," Goombella reasoned. "_'Atomic_' actually is an old Mushroomian word meaning 'energy', and this was long before the atom was discovered, mind you. When wedgies became a high form of punishment in the Mushroomian Empire, they were so forceful that they were appropriately named 'Atomic Wedgies'. Therefore, 'atoms', being the universe's smallest units of energy, were named after the Atomic Wedgie itself."  
"Oh..." Ms Mowz said, not sure what to say to that.

"Sooo..." Mario said thoughtfully, "Since we were meant to be in there when the Atomic Wedgies happened, we're all just... magically gonna get wedgied at some random time?"  
"No. The Atomic Wedgie God likes to come up with 'designs' to torture victims that escape his wrath."  
"Like what?"  
"Well, if I had to guess, I'd say it has to do with our seat numbers... You know, we sat in seats 101-109. Therefore, the person sitting in seat 101 would suffer it first, and the one in seat 109 would be the last... If that's true, then Verdugo can expect to get a wedgie pretty soon. Of course, that IS just a guess..."  
"But half of us don't even wear pants!" Flurrie protested.  
"The Atomic Wedgie God will find a way..."  
"But we weren't wearing pants in the comedy show! We wouldn't have gotten a wedgie anyway! We would've just gotten-"  
"A hook up the ass," Ms Mowz finished. "You know, suddenly, an Atomic Wedgie doesn't sound so bad..."

"How bad of pain can we expect?" Mario asked.  
"Well..." Goombella said ominously, "...In the olden times, Atomic Wedgies were so bad that they were known to stop the victims from breathing for several minutes... some even choked to death after inability to breath afterward. Therefore, when you get one, it's also said to be called your... _Final __Respiration..._"  
Koops chimed in. "Umm... Well, I've heard that you can get 'em so bad that your sexual organs get screwed up for life. So... I dunno, I'd probably call mine my... _Final Masterba-_"  
"Shut up, Koops!" Everyone yelled.

"But what about me?" Vivian said. "I don't even have a... well, you know..."  
"Legs?" Mario asked.  
"Well yeah, I don't have legs, but that's not what I was talking about-"  
"Panties?" asked Bobbery.  
"No, that's not what I meant either..."  
"Feet?"  
"No..."  
"Nerves?"  
"No!"  
"Pie?"  
"No!"  
"A lovehole?" Verdugo asked.  
Everyone looked at Verdugo stupidly. Vivian groaned. "Yes Verdugo, a 'lovehole'..."

"Yo, Flurrie doesn't have one either!" Mario exclaimed, pointing.  
Flurrie laughed. "Oh, you jester! Of course I do!"

Everyone stared at her. All the males were especially creeped out. "So..." Bobbery said. "You mean to tell me you float around naked all the time... and you actually have one?"  
Flurrie looked around. "Why, of course..."  
Koops had to run over and throw up off the side of the boat.

"Well, anyway..." Goombella said. "I've researched this a lot, so I know what I'm talking about. You don't have to believe me, but just be careful. That's all. Especially you Verdugo. Watch your pants, OK?"  
"Yeah, sure," he laughed. "I'll look out for the _Scary Atomic Wedgie God!_"  
"Well, all that aside, let's head down and get off at the dock," Mario told everyone. "There's someone there I'm sure we're all curious to meet... right Vivian?"  
"Yeah..." Vivian replied. As they began to head down the stairs, Vivian noticed she was getting strange looks from everyone...  
Especially Verdugo, though he seemed to be focused on his underwear as well...


	3. Chapter 2

****

CHAPTER 2

**- _A Prayer for The Rainbow_ -**

The ninesome exited the boat and stepped onto Morteva's dock. They immediately began to look around for any suspicious characters. Not long after, all their eyes rested on a single man in a black cloak. Whoever it was, he was staring at all of them as well, yet was eager to hide his face. They all stared back at him, wondering what he wanted, and who should approach him first.

Finally Vivian decided to go to him. "I have a feeling this is the person who sent me the letter. So... if anything, I'm sure he'd want to talk to me."  
Vivian reluctantly floated up to him. He seemed to stare past her curl of hair and straight into her eyes from beyond within his hood. He didn't say a word, and almost appeared as though he was waiting for her to say something.  
"Umm..." she said. "Hello sir. I'm Vivian, and I-"  
"Vivian!" the man said, surprising her. He quickly bowed down on one knee as though she was a queen that demanded the highest respect. He looked up at her, and without standing up, said, "Vivian, Dearest Heroine of Rogueport..."  
"Hehe... yup, that's me!" Vivian said, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I'm guessing you sent the letter?"  
"Yes. Do you have it with you?"  
Wow, this man had the deep, sincere voice of a saint! It seemed so odd that he would be treating Vivian like royalty. "Umm... no. I left it with my sisters so they'd know where I was going..."  
"...I see."  
"Oh, but I have my boarding pass!" she said, pulling hers out and showing it to him. "One of the ones you included with the letter. We all have ours!"  
"Ah, so you made use of the extra seven I sent to you?"  
"Yeah!"  
"Well, please! I wish to meet the ones whom you brought along!"

"OK," Vivian said happily. She looked at her group of friends, who were still standing by, and motioned for them to come over. They all looked at one another for a second, then Mario led the group up to Vivian's side. The man stood up to greet them all.  
"Hello everyone. Who might you be who are acquainted with the great Vivian?"  
They all introduced themselves to him - Goombella, Ms Mowz, Koops, Verdugo, Bobbery, Flurrie, Peach, and finally Mario.  
"Mario!..." the man said when Mario introduced himself. It was hard to tell whether the man was excited to meet him or utterly displeased. "I've heard about you."  
"Really?" Mario asked, somewhat surprised.  
"Oh, don't act so surprised! Everyone knows of your brave deeds! You fighting beside the great Vivian... Could there be a deadlier duo?"  
Vivian giggled when he said that.  
"So anyway sir," Peach began, "You sent Vivian a letter asking for help? What's the trouble?"  
"Well," said the man, "Allow me to explain... I must first ask, though - Do you all know about The Rainbow?"  
Goombella looked at him funny. "Umm... of course. It's a band of colors that appears in the sky as a result of water droplets that hang in the air and diffract the light that hit them, causing the light to split up into its varying colors..."  
"No!" the man scoffed. "Not THAT rainbow! I'm talking about The REAL Rainbow!"  
Everyone looked at each other, puzzled. As far as they knew, the rainbow Goombella had just described _was_ a real rainbow...  
The man sighed. "The rainbows you're talking about are naught but illusions. The REAL Rainbow... Well, you've heard the myth about the pot o' gold at the end of the rainbow, haven't you?"  
Koops remembered that. "Oh yeah. That's an Irish myth, isn't it?"  
The man appeared surprised to hear it. "So, it's spread even as far as Ireland, has it...? Anyway, The myth stems from the origin of the true Rainbow."  
"But what IS the true Rainbow?" Vivian asked.

The man took a deep breath and began. "Long ago, ages before the arrival of civilized life, the Gods of the Heavens descended to build a post on Earth. Their location of choice was present-day Morteva, the land where we stand now. Reinus, the King of the Gods, wanted a post within the atmosphere so that they could begin the spread of life on Earth as we know it today. However, they knew that by doing this, the outside layer of Earth was open to dark forces that could enter from the outside. Therefore, the Gods combined their magic and created the seven Rainbow Relics. These Relics, which contained the essence of the Gods, were placed upon their tower and created a gorgeous band of the godly magic that spread its beauty across the sky... The Rainbow. Containing the Gods' power, The Rainbow offered protection against dark outside forces while the Gods could focus on starting the cycle of life on Earth..."

"Wow..." Vivian thought. "That's neat."  
"Yes, it is a fascinating tale, is it not? But it's true! See that tower up there in the clouds?" He pointed to the magnificent grey and gold building floating high overhead.  
"How could we not see it?" Flurrie laughed.  
"Yes... that is the Palace of the Gods, where the Gods and Goddesses still abide to this day, watching over the world. The site from which The Rainbow once protruded and offered its protection in the Heavens..." The man looked down sadly, as though he remembered the days when The Rainbow once shown.  
"Why isn't there any more Rainbow?" Verdugo asked.  
"The Rainbow Relics were lost from their post atop the Palace of the Gods long ago. To this day, no one knows where they went or where they are..."  
"How long ago did all this happen?" Bobbery wondered.  
"I'm not entirely sure, but I'd guess perhaps about 1,000 years..."

"I don't understand," Ms Mowz said. "What kinds of 'dark outside forces' did the Gods want to create The Rainbow to protect against?"  
"Yeah," Vivian asked, "And why did you wait 1,000 years before asking for our help? And... wait, you still haven't explained _why_ you need our help!"  
"Well, I can answer all of those questions with a single explanation. You see, no one knows who or what took the Rainbow Relics from their posts or why, but in fact, the Gods didn't seem to mind so much, since the dark outside forces had never even attempted to invade Earth afterwards. The Gods figured The Rainbow had done its job and that it was no longer needed... However, just recently, I heard from Reinus that an outside force did recently attempt to breach Earth and take over... a strange race called the X-nauts. Upon hearing this, Reinus ordered me to find the Rainbow Relics and return them to their post, for we feared that the evil forces from beyond had now realized that, after 1,000 years, our primary defense against them was finally down. All I knew was that the Relics were hidden somewhere in the land of Morteva, but their whereabouts were, nay, still are unknown to me. I was about to give up hope when I heard that the X-naut army had been overthrown by Earth beings..."  
Mario and the gang smiled around at one another.  
"Indeed," the man said, bowing, "Vivian, I must thank you for saving our world."

Vivian gasped. She looked at Mario, who looked quite confused, then looked back at the stranger. "Umm, but sir... I didn't beat the X-nauts. Mario did! Well, I did help, but..."  
The man looked up at Mario. "Is this true? Why, when I first heard the news from Reinus, it was all 'Vivian this' and 'Vivian that'. No mention of anyone else. Just... Vivian."  
"Oh..." she wasn't quite sure what to say.  
"Well, in any case. I called you here because... the attempted invasion of the X-nauts proves that Earth is once again vulnerable to forces from the dark beyond. Reinus, his Highness, demands that the Rainbow Relics be returned to their post at the top of the Palace of the Gods as soon as possible. Being the overthrowers of the X-nauts... do you brave warriors believe you can locate the Relics and return the protective power of the Rainbow to the Heavens?"

Vivian looked at Mario, who looked at everyone else. They all nodded, and Vivian turned back to the man. "We'll do it!"  
The man bowed more gracefully then ever. "Oh, thank you ever so much! I will tell this Reinus at once! He will be pleased! As a matter of fact... Reinus would very much like to meet you! Visiting him should be your first goal before heading out to find the Rainbow Relics. He will certainly tell you more. You can reach the Palace of the Gods via secret route in the middle of the Plains of Eden."  
"Oh wow, we get to meet the Gods?" Mario asked. "Geez, what should I wear? Not everyday you get to talk to the creators of the Earth, know what I'm sayin'?"  
"Indeed," the man said. "Now, I have these for you..." He reached into his cloak pocket and pulled out a key. "This is the key to Room 13 of the Heaven's Bell resort, the most luxurious resort in Morteva. I figure the ones whom we put our trust into saving the world deserve a little special treatment, hm?"  
Mario took the key and twirled it around. "Nice! This trip is just one luxury after another. I'm lovin' it!"  
"Well, I must go report to Reinus at once and note him of your arrival. I'll be waiting for you all there. Good luck!"  
The man charged up a ball of light in his hands, ready to be whisked away, when Vivian stopped him. "Wait!" she exclaimed. "Who are you?"  
"Err... I'm... I am but a lowly messenger of the Gods. But no matter, I will be seeing you again real soon, Vivian. Good-bye...!" And with that, the light engulfed his body, and in a flash, he was gone.

The nine all stood there, in disbelief at what they had just heard. The Gods themselves wanted their help? Talk about demanding work! But hey, they were all happy knowing that they would be traveling together once again, let alone working together to help save the world!

Mario held the key in his hand. The key that opened a room for them in the Heaven's Bell resort. "Wow... just wow... We're on a mission from the Gods, guys!"  
"Oh, I know! Most splendid, eh old boy?" Bobbery exclaimed. "But this seems like it'll be quite a task... where on earth shall we start?"  
"Well," Peach said, "If you ask me, I'd say we check out that resort first. Maybe just relax a little before heading off to the Palace of the Gods, you know?"  
"But where is the Heaven's Bell?" Flurrie asked, looking around.  
"Gee," Ms Mowz said, "Maybe it's that grand building over there with the 'Heaven's Bell' sign next to it??" She pointed at a large, white and beige building, with (what do ya know?) a large sign which read _Heaven's Bell _in large green letters not far from the dock.  
"Wow...!" Koops said in awe. "I can't wait to see what our room looks like!"

"Alright, let's go!" Mario exclaimed. He was about to run towards to the resort when he noticed Vivian looking around with her hands cupped near her chest, as though she were looking for someone. "Hey Vivian, you coming?"  
"Huh?" she asked, somewhat bewildered. "Oh, sorry. "It's just... I met this guy on the boat, and..."  
"Atlan?"Vivian looked at Mario, surprised. All the girls seemed to know who she was talking about, too. "Umm... yeah, Atlan. He took care of me on the boat that day when I was sick and, well... he sort of told me he'd meet me when we docked here. I was just wondering where he was..."  
"Oh Vivian!" Peach scoffed. "Don't get so hung up over a guy you just met yesterday! Besides, if it turns out the guy just set you up, he'll be hearing from us, right girls?"  
Flurrie, Ms Mowz and Goombella all nodded in response. Vivian, though, was indifferent. "I'm willing to take my chances. You guys can go on ahead and check out the resort. I'll be here..."  
"Well... OK." Mario said. "See you later Vivian." He turned to rest of the gang. "Let's go check it out!"  
"Awesome!" Verdugo said, running ahead. However, it was noticed he was running across a noticeably slippery part of the dock, and there were several hooks attached to it that were meant for tethering boats to.

Suddenly, Goombella got an awful feeling. She looked at Verdugo and her stomach twisted in a knot. "Verdugo! No! Be careful!!"  
Too late. Verdugo slipped on the wet part of the dock, slid, and fell right off the edge!  
"VERDUGO!!" everyone cried, running over to see if he'd fallen in the water. However, it was far worse than that. When they reached the dock's edge, they saw poor Verdugo had gotten his underwear snagged on one of the hooks, and was hanging helplessly!

"HOLY SHIT!! IT HUUURTS!!" he cried, trying to free himself from his painful situation.  
"Oh man, that's gotta sting!" Mario exclaimed, trying to reach down and help him. Unfortunately, he couldn't reach down far enough to grab him, so his only option was to (gulp!) grab his underwear and fling him back up.  
"I'm gonna help you up Verdugo! Hang tight!"  
"I already AM, dammit!"  
Mario grabbed the end of Verdugo's pants that was hooked, took a deep breath, and pulled him up with al his might. "GAAAAAH!" Verdugo screamed as he did. He was safely flung over Mario's head and onto the dock, where he proceeded to roll around, holding his crotch.  
"Ooooooggghhhhh..." he cried. "Jesus bloody Christ, that was AWFUL..."  
"The 'Tomic Wedgie God strikes again!" Goombella yelled. "NOW do you guys believe me??"

Mario picked up Verdugo like a baby. "Give your legs a rest there, little buddy. I'll carry you to the resort."

Mario then turned to Vivian. "Are you sure you don't wanna come?"  
"Yeah. I'll be there soon, I promise. But... I just wanna stay and wait a little longer..."  
"OK," Mario said. "Let's go everyone."

* * *

Aye aye aye! This resort may as well have been a spa for the Gods themselves! Mario used the key to enter Room 13, and the room was glorious! 4 queen-sized beds, a TV with a GameCube hooked up, a fireplace... Damn, it was nice! They also had direct access to the spa and Jacuzzi just outside their room, as well as a karaoke bar just down the hallway! It was every vacationer's dream!  
And yet, while they would've loved to hang out and have fun, they knew they couldn't for long. All they could really do was chill for a little while before heading off to the Plains of Eden to go to the Palace of the Gods. The thought of meeting Reinus, the King of the Gods, was lingering on everyone's minds. What an honor it would be to meet the great creator of the world!

After a good while of exploring the resort, everyone returned to the room together. Mario plopped down on one of the beds and sighed. "Well, we've been looking around this place for nearly 20 minutes, but Vivian's still not here!"  
Peach looked down. "Poor girl. I guess the guy really did set her up..."  
But at that moment, there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it!" Verdugo exclaimed, jumping up. However, his area was still in lots of pain and he immediately collapsed on the floor. Goombella helped him back on the bed. "Just rest it off," she said soothingly. "The pain'll be gone soon..."  
Bobbery instead opened up the door and there was Vivian, and right behind her, an extremely handsome man that he'd never seen before. "ARGH!" he cried. "Vivian, watch yourself, lass! There's a thieving scallywag behind you!"  
Vivian laughed. "No, Bobbery! It's OK! This is Atlan, the doctor who took care of me on the boat!"  
"Hi Bobbery," the guy said, as though he'd met him before.  
Bobbery sulked back, embarrassed. "Oh, dear me. My apologies, old boy! Do come in!"

Vivian led Atlan into the room, and everyone in the room greeted him. "Hello Atlan," they all said as he entered.  
Atlan laughed nervously. "Heh, I see you've been talking about me, Vivian!"  
"Well, of course!" she replied matter-of-factly. "You did take care of me."  
"How you doin' there Atlan?" Mario asked from the bed.  
"I'm pretty good. I had to stay on board the ship for a while for, umm... medical purposes... but, yeah. Anyway, Vivian tells me you're all going on a trip to the Palace of the Gods? Somethin' about saving the world?"  
"Yup, that's right!"  
"Wow! Isn't that the crazy-lookin' building up there in the sky? How do you plan on getting there?"  
"Err, well... that's really none of your business."  
Vivian crossed her arms. "Mario, that's really rude!"  
But Atlan put a hand on her shoulder. "No, he's right. It really isn't. But anyway, I'm thinking since you guys are gonna be staying here... Mind if I stay here, too?"  
"There aren't enough beds," Mario observed.  
He looked around and counted 4 queen size beds, large enough for 2 people each. "Well... there's 9 of you, right? There wouldn't be enough anyway..."  
"Umm... I think there's a spare pull-out bed in the closet. Big enough for one person," Koops chimed in.  
"Oh... Atlan said. "Well then... I'll maybe rent out a single room here, so we'll at least be in the same resort!"  
Mario looked at him suspiciously. "Well, your choice, I guess..."  
Vivian and Atlan looked at one another and smiled.

"Well," Mario announced, standing up, "Whaddya say we head on out?"  
"OK!" Everyone cheered, jumping up off their beds.  
Vivian then looked down at the ground, then back up at Mario. "Umm... Mario? Do you mind if Atlan and I stay here for a bit? I know meeting Reinus and the Gods is real important, but... well, you can just tell me everything when you come back, right?"  
"But Vivian, from the sound of things, you're the one all the Gods are dying to meet! I'm not sure the Gods would appreciate it much if you didn't show up. Heck, they might not even allow us in if you're not with us..."  
Atlan shrugged his shoulders. "What do you think, Viv?"

Vivian looked at Atlan, then at Mario, then back at Atlan. "He's right," Vivian said rather sadly. "The Gods will really want to meet me. Besides, we're on very important business..."  
Atlan took her hands. "That's alright Viv. I understand. I may as well take the time to get myself a room here while you're gone. Oh, and uh... maybe reserve a table for two at the restaurant on the west wing...?"  
Vivian lit up. "Oh my gosh, really?!"  
"Of course! We are on vacation, right?"  
"Well... not exactly... we do have to help the Gods."  
"Oh, right..." Atlan said, looking disappointed.  
"But I'll definitely see if I can!" she chirped reassuringly.  
He looked up at her and smiled. "Alright, cool. Well, I gotta go to the reception desk and get myself a room. Good luck out there, guys! See you later, Viv!"  
"Alright," said Mario. "Take it easy, Atlan."  
"Yeah, you too Slick."  
Mario then got a very surprised look on his face, and looked at Atlan with a raised eyebrow. "...What did you call me?"

"Um, nothing! Gotta go!" Atlan quickly turned to Vivian and reluctantly gave her a little peck on the cheek. After that, he hurriedly left the room.  
Vivian put her hand on her cheek and sighed. Ms Mowz, Flurrie and Peach were talking silently, and Mario still wasn't quite over the initial shock over what Atlan had called him. 'Slick'... There was only one person in the world that had ever called him that...

But Mario quickly put it aside. "Well, you guys ready to head out?"  
"Most definitely, old boy!!" Bobbery said excitedly. He hopped off his bead and joined Mario. Everyone else quickly dismounted their beds and stood by him as well.  
Except for Goombella and Verdugo.  
"Are you sure you can walk?" Goombella asked, concerned.  
Verdugo hopped off his bed and landed somewhat wobbly, but he was alright. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Oooghh... damn, I don't think my testicles are EVER gonna drop now..."

Mario and the gang headed out of the Heaven's Bell and began to walk through the port town, known as Noah's Wharf. In the center of town, they found a large roadmap that they used to figure out where the Plains of Eden were. According to the map, it was just north, directly beneath the Palace of the Gods. Made sense that a secret route to the palace would be there. After a short walk along some side streets, they eventually reached the city limits. There was a large gate with a nearby sign reading _'Plains of Eden'_. There didn't seem to be any nearby security, so Mario opened up the gate and allowed everyone through. The entire world seemed to change upon walking through that gate. They went from a civilized, lively port town to a beautiful pristine plain, completely untouched by human hands. It seemed to bask in the glory of the Palace's golden facade...

Koops' mind was elsewhere, however. He saw Verdugo walking all funny and remembered what Goombella had said about the Atomic Wedgie God, and how he did not allow anyone to cheat their way out of receiving pain in the pubic area. He kind of changed his walking course so he was right next to Goombella.  
"Umm... Goombella? Can I ask you something?"  
"Sure Koops. What's up?"  
"Umm... All that stuff you said about the Atomic Wedgie god... is it, like, true?"  
She looked at him seriously. "Of course. You saw what happened to Verdugo, right?"  
"Well, yeah. That's the problem. See... Verdugo was sitting in seat 101, and well... I was sitting in seat 102."  
"Oh..." she said, a tad worried. "Well, I'd be careful. Atomic Wedgies are no joke..."  
"I bet not," he said.  
"Well, I seem to have this, err... feeling I get when I know something like that's about to happen. It happened when Verdugo got his Atomic Wedgie. I just sort of... saw it, you know? Like a glimpse into the future. So, if you hear me call out to you to be aware of something, you'd better listen. Then maybe you can avoid it..."  
"Oh, OK. But... what'll happen if I avoid it? Will it, like, skip me? Or will the Atomic Wedgie God keep coming after me until I..."  
Goombella looked puzzled. "I don't know," she said. "We'll just have to wait and see."  
"Well, we're going to the Palace of the Gods right now. Think the Atomic Wedgie God will be there? Maybe we can talk to him..."  
"Hmm... I hadn't thought of that. Maybe, but I'm not sure talking will do any good..."

The ninesome eventually reached an area that had a large circular stone disk embedded into the grass. They all looked up, and realized it was exactly under the Palace of the Gods. Perhaps not, but this certainly seemed like the key to opening this secret entrance.  
"Hmm..." Mario thought. "We should all split up and look for clues as to how this thing could, err... open." Everyone agreed and began to examine the circular stone slab at their feet. There were seven star marks on the outer rim, and a pedestal that stuck up right on the center. It reminded them greatly of the pedestal that was before the Thousand-Year Door.  
It appeared as though there were some ancient symbols carved around the perimeter of the stone disk, like old hieroglyphics. Goombella, who was quite good at reading ancient symbols such as these, tried her best to decipher them. Taking out a small handbook, she took several minutes to study them, walking around the stone slab to read every one. Finally, she pieced the whole thing together.  
"Well, I'm not TOO sure what it says, but this is what I got out of it..." She cleared her throat and recited the results:

--

_The love of seven  
Surrounding one  
The hearts and mouths of seven  
Shout out BOOYA!  
And gives the one  
The wings he needs  
To soar to us  
The Great Ones  
Guests may be invited  
But only one  
With the hearts and mouths of  
surrounding seven...  
BOOYA!_

_--_

Everyone stood around and stared at Goombella stupidly.

"Umm... are you SURE you translated that right?" Peach asked.  
"I... I'm pretty sure." Goombella said sheepishly.  
"Well there's gotta be some message in it somewhere..." Vivian said. "But what is it?"

Bobbery walked around the slab, pretending like he knew what the symbols said. In truth, he was just looking at them because he hoped maybe doing so would help solve Goombella's riddle in some stupid way. "Umm... everybody," he at last announced, "I think I've come to understand the meaning of the message, though my inference may seem rather, I dunno... odd."  
"Tell us!" Goombella said. "It's better than nothing. We're willing to try anything we can come up with."  
"Oh, OK. Well... I think the 'one' the message refers to is someone that is loved by many..."  
"Like me?" Mario asked in a comical tone.  
"Erm, Precisely! Like Mario!" Bobbery exclaimed.  
"Oh, well... thanks," Mario replied.  
"Right. Anyway, the 'seven surrounding' or somethin-or-other refers to seven people who have hearts filled with love and respect for... err... Mario."  
"OK, I'm kinda liking this so far..." Mario laughed.  
"And then, the 'seven surrounding' must all cry out BOOYA! That will cause the 'one' - Mario - to fly up to the Palace of the Gods in some manner."  
"Hmm... makes sense to me," Goombella thought aloud. "Let's try it!"  
"But wait," Peach said. "There's nine of us. If Mario's in the center, and only seven of us can send him up, that means one of us is gonna be left out. That's not really fair, because we ALL have hearts full of love and respect for Mario!"  
"Yeah!" Mario cried in agreement.  
"Ah, but Your Highness," Bobbery reassured, "According to the message, it seems that once the one - Mario - is up there, he can invite anyone guests that he wants. So no matter, we'll all get up there regardless who does and doesn't take part in this little ritual."  
"It still doesn't seem very fair to me," Peach said.

"Yeah, me neither," Mario moaned.

"I won't participate..." Vivian finally announced.

Everyone looked at her, surprised. "But Vivian dear, you love Mario, don't you?" Flurrie asked, "Won't you feel left out if you don't join?"  
"Well, of course I love Mario," said Vivian, "But... the ritual calls for seven who have hearts full of love and respect..."  
"Umm... so?" Koops asked.  
"Well, I don't have a heart..." she muttered. She turned her back to everyone and covered her eyes with her hat when she said that, looking somewhat depressed.

Everyone looked at each other, certain they were all thinking the same thing. Vivian was the nicest, sweetest girl any of them had ever hoped to meet. How could she not have a heart?  
Mario eventually nodded his head slowly. "We understand Vivian. I'll invite you when I get to the Palace, OK?"  
"OK..." she said, still looking away.

Everyone else prepared for the rites. Mario stood on the pedestal, and everyone else, after a bit of confusion and shoving, managed to take their spot atop a star mark. Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, Verdugo, Bobbery, Ms Mowz, and Peach all prepared for the shout out. Vivian stood off to the side and watched. Mario looked straight up at the bottom of the glorious tower above him. Goodness, it was high up there! He guessed about 3 miles, straight up. He had a feeling he was in for a helluva ride...

After taking in a few deep breaths, without taking his eyes off the tower above, Mario held out his fist high above his head...  
And gave a thumbs up.  
The surrounding seven all took in a deep breath and...  
"BOOYA!!"

At that moment, a heavenly blue light illuminated Mario's pedestal and it began to shake rapidly. An immense force erupted at Mario's feet, and he saw the tower above suddenly begin to zoom closer at an astonishing rate! Holy shit! He taking off like a rocket!! He was traveling at such intense velocity that his stomach left him at once. He experienced massive tunnel vision as the tower in the clouds zoomed closer and closer.

Just when Mario thought he would smash his face against the bottom of the tower, the entire bottom suddenly opened up like a hatch! Once within the interior, his crazy rocket flight suddenly stopped just as soon as it had begun. He found himself simply floating. Floating in a large room with a large open bottom from where he entered.  
Now that his insane flight was over, he glanced down... and gasped. Goddamn, he was high up! The island of Morteva, as massive as it was, was merely a fair-sized green circle in the middle of the large blue backdrop that was the ocean. Simply floating there made him feel very uncomfortable...

Suddenly, he dropped! But only a few feet. He found the 'floor' he was walking on was merely invisible, so he was able to walk yet still look down upon the dizzying height. He was reassured, but still extremely freaked out.

At that moment, a door to his right opened up, and in floated a winged man. He was hardly bigger than Mario, and he wore a yellow robe and had a handsome face, even if it was somewhat old. His wings looked like those of a dove, and emitted small yellow sparks as they flapped slowly, keeping the man aloft.  
"Umm... hi." Mario said, still shaking.  
"Hello there, mortal! It's been quite a while since Earth beings have been up here. I think it's about time we update that slab's old-time symbols into English, eh? Haha!"  
"Uh, yeah, that'd probably help..." Mario reasoned, walking up to the floating dude. "Um, wait. Who are you?"

The man crossed his arms proudly. "I am Yama, God of Lightning!"  
Mario laughed a little. "Hehe... 'Yama'... that's a funny name..."  
"O RLY?? Well what's YOUR name?"  
"Err, I'm Mario."  
"WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!! 'Mario'!! That's funny! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"  
Mario was silent for a while. "Could you-"  
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!"  
Silence.  
"Could-"  
"WAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!"  
Silence again.  
"C-"  
"HAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"  
Long silence. Mario wanted to make sure this nutcase was done laughing.  
"Could you invite my friends up now?"  
"Yeah, sure."

Yama raised his arm, and in a quick flash of light, all of Mario's friends appeared right beside him. They all were dazzled and confused as to where they were.  
Mario looked at Yama. "That's it? That's all you had to do?"  
"Yeah. Nice, huh? Hey guys! I'm Yama, God of Lightning!"  
Everyone was still not quite over the shock of finding themselves standing on an invisible floor 3 miles above Earth, and seeing this floating yellow guy talk to them was enough to make them think "lyke, WTF??"  
Mario introduced him as fast as possible. "Yeah, this is Yama. Yeah, he's the Lightning God. We're all in the Palace of the Gods now."

Verdugo was the first to speak. "Wicked!"  
Ms Mowz was the next to recover from the shock. "Well then, Mr Yama... where can we find Reinus? Your King?"

Yama's smile suddenly became a very serious face. "Ah, you came to meet Reinus? Strange, I didn't think he was expecting visitors..."  
"But one of your messengers sent Vivian a letter, telling us to come here and-"  
Yama's eyes suddenly opened wide. "Did... you just say 'Vivian'?"  
"Why yes, I did."  
"She's in your party right now?"

Vivian eased her way through the crowd and stood in front of Yama. "Umm... yeah, that's me."  
Yama looked Vivian up and down, then nodded in what seemed to be approval. "Hmm, yes. Vivian. I've heard some pretty cool stuff about you. Beatin' up a whole race of aliens, eh? Yeah, not too shabby!"

Vivian looked at Mario again and shrugged, then turned back to Yama and said, "Umm, thanks, I guess."

Yama then smiled. "Aw, c'mon! Ya gotta tell me how you did it! Was it your crazy magical fire powers, or what? C'mon! How'd you beat up those X-naut whatever dudes, huh?"  
"Well, actually, we're here because of that. One of your messengers told me that the attempted invasion of the X-nauts proves that The Rainbow is once again needed to protect the world from evil beyond the Heavens, or something..."  
Yama scratched his chin. "Ah yes, The Rainbow... I remember the days of The Rainbow. Beautiful, it was. Simply beautiful. If Reinus demands that of you, Vivian, then I shall take you to him right away!"  
"Oh, thank you very much!"  
"Anything for you, Dearest! By the way, who are these freaks and geeks you brought along?"  
"Umm... my friends. We're the team that beat the X-nauts!"  
"I see. You the team leader, I'm guessing?"

"Umm... no. Actually Mario is."  
"WAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAA! 'Mario'..."

* * *

"Hey, quit pushing, Turtle Boy!"  
"Who're you callin' Turtle Boy, ya Purple Pansy!"  
"Hey! Purple is a very dignified color amongst the X-nauts!"  
"That's what makes your race so LAME!"  
"Excuse me, but don't you have an audition for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Or rather, 40-year-old Senile Unemployed Turtles?"  
"Uh, err... SHUT UP!"  
"Both of you shut up or I will MAKE you!"  
"Oh yeah? What're YOU gonna do about it, Computer Head?"

Bowser, Lord Crump, and Grodus (well, his head anyway) were all squeezed into Bowser's Koopa Klown Car and were flying over the ocean to Morteva. Bowser was driving and Grodus was navigating, but Bowser and Crump seemed to do nothing but argue over the amount of space they had. It was driving Grodus nuts.  
"How dare you call me 'Computer Head'!" Grodus shouted. "I am Supreme Leader of the X-nauts!"  
"Yeah? Well I'm King of the Koopas. What's your point?"  
"Ugh..." Crump complained. "I still don't get what we're doing. Where are we going again?"  
Grodus was about to answer, but Bowser interrupted. "We're going to Morteva so I can capture Princess Peach!"  
"Precisely," Grodus answered. "Crump, you've seen how TEC has been acting lately. The past 6 months we've spent rebuilding our fallen base on the moon, and all TEC keeps saying is how much he loves Princess Peach. It's made him so stubborn that he isn't willing to help with the revival of our race. The problem is, I can't just shut him down. We desperately need him for our reconstruction. That's why we are actually permitting Bowser to kidnap the Princess. Once that is done, I will warn TEC that unless he cooperates with me, Bowser will kill the Princess. This will surely-"  
Bowser gawked. "Wha-What?? KILL the Princess?? I couldn't kill Princess Peach!!"  
"Why not?" Crump asked.  
"Because I... IIIIII... THAT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!!"  
"Whoa, OK... settle down there, tiger."  
"No worries, Bowser," Grodus said coolly. "It is merely a bluff. The second TEC hears his beloved Peach is in danger, and that he can save her by cooperating with me, he will have no choice but to do so. That way, we're all happy - Bowser gets the Princess, the X-naut army gets another shot at world domination, and... wait, why am I saying all this again? I've already explained the plan to you, Crump!!"  
"Yeah, stupid!" Bowser grumbled.  
"Stupid indeed," Grodus laughed.  
Crump fumed up. "Oh YEAH? Well, look at this!" Crump began waving his arms and kicking his legs. "I've got arms and legs! What do you got to say to THAT, huh?"  
Grodus merely chuckled. "I can have TEC construct a new body for me once our plan is complete. You, however, will always be an idiot."  
Bowser laughed in Crump's face. "Oh, BURNED!"

Crump sat and fiddled with his fingers a bit, thinking over the plan and trying to memorize it. After a long silence, he finally asked, "Umm... Sir Grodus? If we get TEC to cooperate again and we rebuild our base, won't TEC expect Bowser to let the Princess go?"  
"NOO!!" Bowser roared.  
"I did take that possibility into consideration," Grodus said. "I do fear that if Peach is still in Bowser's clutches when TEC finishes helping us revive the base, he will demand that she be set free. Therefore, once our preparations for world domination are complete, I will shut him down permanently, launch him into the depths of space, and replace him with a newer model."

"Why don't we just do that NOW and spare ourselves this whole stupid plan?" Crump asked.  
"CUZ I WANT PEACH!!" Bowser growled.  
"No," Grodus explained. "We spent so much money on our previous world domination attempt only to have it ruined by Mario. We haven't the finances for a new computer. However, once TEC gets us back on track, we will be able to replenish our funds and replace him for good."  
"Will we get a Microsoft computer?"  
"No. Microsoft is lame."  
"Well... Can we at least get an X-Box?"  
"If X-Box didn't have such fine online service, that very name would make my ears bleed..."  
"So that's a 'no', then?"  
"If we are to get any video game console to go along with our new computer, it must be something by Sony. No exceptions."  
"What?? Aww... but Sony su-ucks!"  
"Incorrect. Sony is the best. Microsoft can go to hell."  
"Yeah?! Well, you can shove Sony up my ASS! That's worse than hell!"  
"What about Nintendo?" Bowser asked.  
"NINTENDO'S FOR THE KIDDIEZ!!" Crump and Grodus answered simultaneously.  
"Whatever..." Bowser moaned.

Bowser looked over the edge of the Klown Car to gaze upon the miles of ocean that stretched out before them. He was lucky to have spotted Peach walking along with Mario that morning two days ago. He followed them and saw them board a cruise ship bound for some place called Morteva. Now that he and Grodus were pretty tight buds, he had gone to Poshley Heights to tell Grodus and Crump his knowledge about Peach's vacation so that maybe they could help him kidnap her. It was then that this plan had been formulated.

Bowser then noticed something flying towards them. A Paratroopa? Bowser squinted his eyes to see, and found it to be something worse - Parakarry. "Bowser!" he called out. "I say, Bowser! Gosh darn it, slow down! I gotta ask ya somethin'!" He eventually flew in close enough that they could talk.  
"Parakarry??" Bowser asked. "You helped Mario beat me that one time when I stole the Star Rod! You've got some real nerve talkin' to me now, punk!"  
"Awfully sorry, but are you headin' to Morteva?"  
"What's it to you?" Bowser snarled.  
"Well, my good friend Vivian is there, and I gotta apologize to her for messing up a very important delivery of hers..."  
"And you're telling me this WHY??"  
"Well, you know Vivian, right? She supposedly beat you up in some Palace o' Shadow alongside Mario, or so she told me."  
Bowser's eyes opened wide. "Wait, was that the cute-looking purple ghost chick?"  
"Yessir, that'd be her."  
"Yeah, I remember her... stupid witch... but, you still haven't told me why you're TALKING TO ME!!"  
Parakarry winced. "Sorry. Just wonderin' if you knew where she was..."  
"I haven't even gotten to Morteva yet! How am I supposed to know where she IS in Morteva??"  
"Hrmm... good point. Well, guess I'll fly on ahead and try and find her m'self. Bye bye!" Before taking off, Parakarry got a glance at Grodus's head and Lord Crump, who waved stupidly. "Hmm... quite an odd family you got there, Bowser."  
Bowser growled in annoyance as Parakarry flew off into the blue sky.

Parakarry's sole intent was to reach Morteva and apologize to Vivian as soon as possible. He wanted her forgiveness for losing the Elation boarding pass reserved for Bobbery. Oh, how sad she must've been at that moment, knowing she had to go on her adventure without him...

* * *

Yama led Mario and co through several large corridors within the Palace of the Gods. The interior of the palace was beautiful. The stone walls were trimmed with gold, and the plush blue carpeting was really outstanding in the light of the light bulbs.

They finally approached a large wooden door, and Yama stopped. "Let me go in and tell him you're coming," he said. He opened the door and slipped through. Everyone listened from beyond the door.  
_"Yo Reinus, you've got guests."_  
_"Guests?"_ came the booming reply. _"I don't remember sending for any guests..."  
"They claim to have been invited, sir. Besides, seeing as they took the time to decipher the riddle of the secret transport in the Plains of Eden, I'm sure their reasons for being here are important."  
"...I suppose that's true. For what reason are they here?"_  
_"It's a matter of security, man."  
"Hmm... Very well then. Allow them in."  
_  
Yama opened the door, and Mario and everyone else followed him slowly. At the end of the rather large room was Reinus himself, sitting in his golden throne. Wow, this Reinus was one giant of a man! He wore long blue robes and held a staff in his right hand. His incredibly handsome face had a mustache quite like Mario's. As far as all their thoughts on what the King of the Gods might look like, this guy fit the bill quite well!  
"Greetings," Reinus said. "It's been quite a while since Earth beings have been up here. What can I do for you?"  
"Well," Mario said. "One of you messengers explained to us that we were the ones you wanted to ask to return the Rainbow Relics to their proper post."  
"Messengers?" Reinus asked. "How odd... We Gods don't send messengers to speak with Earth beings anymore. If we need to communicate with them, we usually just go down and tell them ourselves, or use the phone or e-mail or something."  
"But, the guy who sent the letter and stuff said he was a messenger..."  
"Hmm..." said Reinus, scratching his chin. "Well, can you explain the situation in detail, perhaps?"  
"Aye, I can," Bobbery said. "You see, our good friend Vivian-"

"Vivian?" Reinus asked in wonder. "Vivian... I've heard the name... Good things, I hear. Is Vivian by chance in your group?"  
Vivian sighed. "Yes, I'm her," she said, positioning herself in front of the crowd.  
When Reinus laid eyes upon her, the look of anticipation on his face suddenly vanished. It faded into a look of confusion, disappointment, and even with a trace of hate. However, he quickly recovered and smiled. "Ah, Vivian! Zanthir has said much good about you!"  
"Zanthir?" she asked.  
"Why yes, Zanthir. The Earth God. Protector of the Rocks and Soil. About 6 months ago, he was on a business trip to Rogueport, and when he returned, he began spreading all this praise of a girl named Vivian who had beaten a race of alien beings called the X-nauts. It's all he's talked about since!"  
"Oh..." Vivian muttered, looking at Mario with a look of confusion on her face.  
"By the way, Dear Vivian..." he said, leaning in a bit. "What type of creature are you exactly?"  
Vivian bit her lip. The way he asked it almost seemed like she would get in serious trouble if she gave him an answer he didn't like. "I... I'm a Shadow Siren..."  
It was noticed that Reinus's eye twitched a bit when she answered, but he quickly smiled and leaned back in his throne. "Ah, yes. Shadow Siren. Of course... So, Mr. Bob-omb! I believe you were saying something?"

"Ah, yes!" Bobbery exclaimed. "You see, Vivian got an anonymous distress letter from this very land of Morteva. The letter also contained 8 boarding passes for the Elation cruise ship that was meant to be the transportation here. She invited us all along - except Peach here, who invited herself - and when we docked, we met this shady fellow wearing a cloak who claimed to be the one who'd sent the letter. He explained to us that the recent invasion of the X-nauts proves that, once again, The Rainbow is needed to protect Earth from evil outside forces."  
"Mmmm... yes, The Rainbow..." Reinus muttered. "Indeed, when Zanthir first came back from Rogueport spewing out all this stuff about an alien race from beyond called the X-nauts, my first thought was that The Rainbow, for the first time in 1,000 years, may need to be returned. However, I didn't believe it was a problem that Earth beings needed to get involved in, so I sent for no help. Perhaps one of the Gods overheard me discussing these plans with myself, and took it upon themselves to go get help from someone... namely you all, the defeaters of the X-nauts... namely you, Vivian."  
"I suppose..." Vivian thought.  
"But I don't understand..." Peach said. "Why would a God pass himself off as a messenger?"  
"I'm not sure," Reinus said. "We Gods aren't too shy about meeting Earth beings face-to-face. Perhaps this God wanted to keep his identity hidden for some reason? Perplexing indeed..."

Everyone was silent for a long time, until Reinus finally spoke again. "When I first heard of the attempted X-naut invasion, I began a somewhat large-scale search for the Rainbow Relics myself. This 'messenger' told you that they were taken from their post nearly 1,000 years ago for no known purpose, correct? Indeed, I tried to find them, but I could not. I was at first concerned, but it soon came to me that the X-nauts probably weren't anything to worry about anyway, seeing as they were defeated by Earth beings such as yourselves. It was then that I decided maybe the Rainbow Relics didn't really need to be recovered after all..."

He then looked down at all nine of them. "However, if you nine brave souls are willing to take on this task..."  
"We are!" Mario exclaimed.  
Reinus smiled and nodded. "Ah, thank you! Your enthusiasm inspires me! Now then, as a reward for taking on this task, I'll accept a question from each of you. Any question at all. What'll it be?"

Everyone looked at each in total astonishment. Any question they wanted answered... could be answered right there?? Sweet! After a while of thinking, they finally asked their questions...

Mario: What's the meaning of life?  
Peach: Will I ever not be kidnaped?  
Goombella: Can we meet the Atomic Wedgie God?  
Koops: When's me and my girlfriend's egg gonna hatch?  
Flurrie: Are you a genie?  
Verdugo: If I'm a boy, why can I lay eggs?  
Vivian: Is Atlan gonna make me happy?  
Bobbery: How's Scarlette doing in the afterlife?  
Ms. Mowz: Can I have the ultra super ultimate legendary "best ever made" Badge??

Reinus answered each question in order, "To love and be loved; 'Fraid not; Uber? Sure, if you can find him. I believe he's around here somewhere; Two months exactly, it's a girl ; No, genies are extinct; All Yoshis are hermaphrodites that, unlike hermaphrodites of other species, can bear children (Uber's idea); Yes, but he has a big secret that I choose not to reveal; She's fine; You already have it, it's called Quick Change!"

Everyone stood in silence, all somewhat disappointed in their answers.  
That is, until Peach finally broke the silence. "DAMMIT!!"

"Well now, you all should be heading out now, shouldn't you?" Reinus asked. "Now, before I forget, take this..." Reinus reached behind his throne and pulled out a beautiful crystal ball with strange markings etched in the glass. "This crystal ball is said to hold the power to locate the Rainbow Relics. It seemed to have magically appeared shortly after the Relics were removed from their post. It's been sitting in my closet for 1,000 years until the recent news of the attempted X-naut assault. I spent 3 months or so trying to use it to find the Rainbow Relics, but to no avail. Perhaps you brave heroes will have more luck finding its secret than I."  
He handed the Crystal Ball down to Vivian. "Vivian, Dearest Heroine of Rogueport, please promise me you will do your best to find the Rainbow Relics."  
"Definitely," she said happily.  
"Do you all promise?"

"YEAH!" They all shouted.  
"Excellent! Now then, be off! I will come check up on you now and then. Good luck!"  
"Thank you! Bye!" they all said, before Yama escorted them out the door.

"So, is everyone ready to head back to the resort?" Mario asked.  
Everyone nodded, except for Goombella. "Umm... you guys can go on ahead. I'll stay for just a little bit..."  
"Umm... why?" Koops asked.  
"Well, since I'm here, I was actually really hoping to meet the Atomic Wedgie God... What did Reinus call him? Uber?"  
Koops scratched his chin. "Yeah, Uber was his name... Uh, you know what guys? I'm kinda curious about that too. I think I'll stick with Goombella for a little bit.  
Verdugo then jumped in anticipation. "Hey, yeah! I wanna meet him to! I got a score to settle with that bum! LEMME AT 'IM!"  
"Well... alright. Let me know what he says when you talk to him," Mario said. "Bye!"

"Bye!" The three called back to him before disappearing down a nearby hallway.  
"Very well then," Yama said. "I'll worry about those three later. For now, let's get you six back down to Earth, eh?"

Yama led Mario, Peach, Flurrie, Vivian, Bobbery and Ms Mowz back through the hallways in the direction they came. "You'll be exiting the palace through the same route you entered," Yama said. "I'll explain the proper exiting procedure when we get there." As they walked, two other Gods happened to intercept with them at a crossing. One of them was a rather tall, slender man with a mop of red hair that seemed to move without the aid of wind. The other was extremely large and buff, wearing a tough layer of blue armor and a helmet that shielded his face, revealing only a pair of glowing light blue eyes. "Yo, Loki! Fyord! What's happenin'?" Yama asked happily, giving each of the other two Gods a high five.  
"Well, who are these two handsome fellows?" Flurrie asked in delight.  
"Hey there everyone," the red-headed one said. "Name's Loki. I'm the Fire God. I know, I know, generic stuff, right? But hey, who cooks your food and warms your house every night? No, not your wife! ME! Haha!"  
None of the women seemed to appreciate that joke, though Mario and Bobbery got a helluva kick out of it.  
"And this big fella over here is Fyord, the Ice God!" Yama announced.  
Fyord stared down at the whole group from behind his helmet. His blue eyes sparkled wildly, and his gaze seemed to penetrate their souls with a cold blast a fear.  
Mario finally held out his hand. "Hello, nice to meet you, Fyord. I'm Mario."  
Fyord looked at Mario's hand without a word, and then looked up at his face. After what seemed like a long time, Fyord finally spoke. "Aw, we don't shake hands around here. We hug!"

Fyord moved in a gave Mario a big hug. His brute strength nearly crumpled Mario up.

When Fyord finally released him, he and Loki stared down at the group in wonder. "Been a while since Earth beings have been up here," Loki said. "What brings ya?"  
"Well," Yama announced, "These nine heroes are-"  
"I only see six," Fyord deduced.  
"Oh, right, well... there should be three more, but they're off trying to find Uber. Do either of you by chance know where he is?"  
"Ehh... haven't seen him lately" Loki thought aloud. "I think he's off on another of his 'Inspirational Trips'."  
"Oh, well... if that's the case, I'd best let the those three know. We all know that when Uber's off on one of those, he doesn't come back for a while! Anyway, these nine heroes are the ones who are bound to return the Rainbow Relics to the top of the palace!"  
Loki and Fyord stared in disbelief. "Really? You guys?"  
"Better believe it!" Ms Mowz exclaimed.

"And that's not all," Yama said. "The 'Vivian' we've all heard so much about is in their group as well!"  
Loki and Fyord looked at each other cracked a smile.

"Ooohh... Vivian, 'Dearest Heroine of Rogueport'?" Loki asked.  
"'Defeater of the X-nauts?'" Fyord cracked.  
"_The Great Vivian??_" They said in unison. They then began to laugh, as though Vivian's name was nothing but a joke. Vivian hadn't really liked all the attention she'd gotten from the Gods so far, but now, these two were laughing at the very sound of her name. It made her feel so worthless. She sort of sank back behind her friends.

"Which one is she?" Loki asked, still laughing.  
"Err... this girl, right here!" Yama laughed, grabbing Vivian's arm and pulling her in front of them. Loki and Fyord both looked down upon her with goofy smiles.

"We've heard a lot about you!" Loki said.  
"Yeah, tell us! How'd you beat the scary X-nauts? OooOooOoOo!"

They both began laughing again. Vivian felt like such a joke she couldn't bear to even look at them. The messenger guy said the Gods thought of her as a hero. Why did these to see her as just something to laugh at?

Mario stood next to her. "What's with you two?? We've heard tell that Vivian's a hero among you Gods!"  
Fyord chuckled. "Yeah, maybe if you talked to Zanthir!"  
"Yeah!" Loki laughed. "Zanthir, wee little Earth God he is. Honestly, the guy's like a little kid to us! He always comes home after long trips spewing all this BS about this, that, or something else. Last time, it was Vivian and how she beat some made-up monsters called the 'X-nauts'. It's been like a joke to us ever since!"  
"Yeah," Fyord laughed. "Zanthir's such a little doofus. Seems like the only one that ever takes him seriously is Reinus... what's up with that?"  
"Well Reinus IS your king," Vivian said. "Maybe you should trust his judgment..."  
"Trust me doll," Loki said. "We stopped trusting that guy a long time ago when the Rainbow Relics were first lost. I tell ya, if Reinus hadn't gone with Zanthir's childish judgment, The Rainbow would still be up there in the sky right now! And now, Zanthir probably just made up this whole X-naut story so that Reinus would have an excuse to put The Rainbow back up, thereby making Zanthir feel all better about his past mistakes!"  
"Why you great blowhards!" Bobbery growled. "The X-nauts ARE real! Vivian is a heroine indeed! We ALL helped in exterminating them!"  
Loki and Fyord looked at each other, surprised by the Bob-omb's loyalty. "Well," said Fyord, "Maybe if you'd told us first, we'd believe you, but... Since Zanthir said it, we just don't."  
"Well, we'll show you once we get the Rainbow Relics back!" Mario groaned. "C'mon Yama, get us out of here. I've had enough of this place."  
"Right away, ladies and gents. Follow me," Yama announced. "Catch you guys later!" he called, waving to the two Gods. It was noticed that they resumed laughing amongst themselves as they walked away.

* * *

Goombella, Koops and Verdugo walked aimlessly through the palace's large halls. They hadn't the slightest clue how they would ever find anything hidden in this place, let alone this Uber guy.  
"Geez, where is he?" Verdugo asked, frustrated. "I really wanna kick that guy's tail!"  
Koops looked around and spotted what looked like a God floating down a nearby hallway. "Could that be him?" he wondered. They figured it was worth it and called to him. "Hey!" Goombella cried. "Excuse me! You, over there! Yoohoo!!

The God turned around timidly, and when he saw those three small figures standing there, he floated up to them slowly. This particular God didn't look humanoid like the others. He was but a large, floating stone head, no bigger than a small child. As a matter of fact, despite the old age-ness of the face carved in the stone, the face almost had an innocent, child-like look in it. He was almost kinda cute! Or so, Goombella thought."Hi," he said. "I'm... I'm Zanthir, the Earth God. Rock and Soil Protec-, err, wait... Protector of the Soil and... ugh, sorry. Umm... C-can I help you?"  
"Yeah!" Verdugo cried. "You can help us find Uber so I can kill 'im for giving me the worst pain in my life!!"

Goombella scowled at Verdugo and spoke to Zanthir gently. "Hi, I'm Goombella, and these are my friends Koops and Verdugo. Can you help us find Uber?"  
Zanthir's stone mouth twitched slightly into a smile. "Umm... sorry, but I don't think he's here. He's probably out on another one of his 'Inspirational Trips', where he just kinda floats out in the sky and dreams up elaborate ways to give people wedgies..."  
"Umm, but I think I'm the one he's probably thinking about ," Koops said. "That's why I'm here. I was hoping to talk to him and tell him to, you know, leave me alone."  
"Oh, sorry," Zanthir said. "I don't think you're gonna find him here..."  
"DAMMIT!" Verdugo yelled.

Zanthir then looked at them suspiciously. "Say, aren't you guys friends of Vivian?"  
"Yeah, totally!" Goombella said. "Reinus said you saw us beat up the X-nauts!"  
"Yeah, I did! I remember seeing you guys there, too. On some pirate ship. You all were just standing there and this purple girl did this thing and... BAM! A whole army of X-nauts and their dumb purple leader all caught on fire and ran off! When I first heard of the X-nauts, I thought we were in deep trouble cuz The Rainbow no longer protected us, but once I saw that, I knew Vivian was the one that could save us all. That's why I-"  
But before he finished, he stopped himself abruptly. He looked as though he would've killed himself if he finished that statement.  
"That's why you what?" Goombella asked.  
"Umm, n-nothing!" he said. "Umm... I gotta go. S-say hi to Vivian for me, OK! See ya!" And with that, he was off.

"Umm... he was weird," Koops said.  
"Yeah, but he was kinda sweet," Goombella chucked.  
"I wanted to kick Uber's ass..." Verdugo sad sadly.

* * *

By about 7 pm that night, everyone had returned to the Heaven's Bell and were mostly hangin' in Room 13. Koops looked out the window and was able to see the tourists at the dock all boarding the Elation, for it was ready to once again set sail. It almost made him sad, for he knew that the link between he and Koopie Koo was going to disappear for a while. Such thoughts made him think of his egg back at home...  
He watched as the Elation slowly pulled from the dock and cruised into the red horizon. After several minutes, it was finally out of view...  
2 months, he thought. 2 months... and it's going to be girl... Should he tell her? Should he tell Koopie Koo the next time he saw her? No... It'd ruin the surprise! He loved her too much to ruin the surprise! That is, if he even made it home before the egg hatched...

Would he?

Koops dismissed these thoughts before he depressed himself too much and turned around. He saw Verdugo and Mario playing Super Smash Bros Melee, and everyone else just chillin' on their beds. Vivian was nowhere to be seen, though. Koops had a thing about being able to notice when people were absent. "Hey where's Vivian?" he asked to no one in particular.  
"Oh, she met up with Atlan on the way in here," Peach explained, "He evidently reserved a table for two at the resort's restaurant, so... they're there, of course. Wasn't that nice of him? He seems like such a great guy..."  
"Oh, I know! Lucky bitch!" Goombella said sarcastically.  
"Oh, well that's cool. I was just wondering." Koops said, taking a seat to watch Mario and Verdugo play. "I play winner!"

"I'd be happy to play against you, Koops!" Mario said.  
"What??" Verdugo cried. "You WISH, Mario! I'm so winning!"

Ms Mowz and Flurrie were reading some brochures as they overheard the brief dialogue concerning Vivian and her date. Yes, that's the only way anyone could put it... Vivian was on a date.  
Ms Mowz then looked up at Flurrie. "Say Flurrie, thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"  
"Well dearie, that depends. If you were thinkin' of seeing what Vivian and Atlan are doing on their date..."  
Ms Mowz smiled. "We sure think a lot alike, don't we Flurrie?"  
Ms Mowz and Flurrie placed their brochures on the bed and walked out the door. No one noticed them leave.

* * *

"So, you're helping the Gods find what now?"  
"The Rainbow Relics! The treasures needed to bring The Rainbow back into the sky, silly!"  
"Oh right, THOSE Rainbow Relics! Right..."  
Vivian and Atlan were enjoying a heavenly dinner in the resort's lovely restaurant. The mellow jazz melody really set the casual mood of the place. Atlan appeared to be having a great time, but oh, Vivian was just all aflutter! She never remembered ever being so happy about anything before. Well, except maybe for the moment when she first joined Mario...

"Sounds awesome, Viv! I just couldn't believe a sweet girl like you could be such a fighter!"  
"Oh, thanks," she giggled. "I don't really like to fight, but I know how to, definitely."  
"I bet! I mean, helping the great and mighty Gods themselves... You must be pretty good if they want _you_ helping them. I bet you're pretty popular up there in Heaven, eh?"  
Vivian thought back on all the praise she'd gotten from the so-called Zanthir and the mysterious messenger from the dock, yet she also thought about Reinus's strange behavior, as well as the taunting of Yama, Loki and Fyord. Was she praised by the Gods, or not? It was a good question. Not wanting to bring the issue to Atlan's attention, she just nodded. "Yeah, they love me!" she laughed.  
Atlan laughed too. "Who couldn't?"

Atlan took a bite of his Cheep-Cheep Fillet. "So, what happened on your first adventure with Mario?"  
Vivian smiled, recalling those memories. "Oh, it was great! The greatest time of my life, actually. You know, I don't think I've never actually told anyone the whole story..."  
"Go ahead, I'd love to hear it!" Atlan said, though the Doopliss within secretly already knew most of it...

"Well," Vivian began, "I actually joined halfway through the whole adventure. You see, Mario was looking for these things called Crystal Stars because, at the time, he thought they would lead him to a great treasure behind the Thousand-Year Door, so..."  
"Sound like a greedy guy," Atlan mumbled, taking a sip of his Blooper Smoothie.  
"He's not," Vivian said coldly. "He was doing it for Princess Peach. Plus, he was also trying to beat the X-nauts to the treasure because they wanted it too, but for evil purposes. So anyway, Mario, Goombella, Koops and Flurrie all worked together to recover the first 3 Crystal Stars from Hooktail Castle, the Boggly Tree, and Glitzville, respectively. It was then that they came to Twilight Town looking for the 4th one..."

Doopliss suddenly became nervous.

_"Uh-oh...This is the part where I come in... What if Vivian mentions me? What if she says my name? Oh snap! I might transform back to my old self right in front of her!"_

Indeed, everyone knows that if you say a Duplighost's name while it's doing a copy spell, it returns to it's original form. If you say it's name while it's wearing a stolen body, that's a different story, but Doopliss hadn't actually _stolen_ anyone's body. He was just copying! And if Vivian said his name... That would not be good!  
Atlan cut Vivian off in mid-speech. "Sorry Vivian but, umm... this whole 'Twilight Town' part? Yeah, umm... you mind skipping it? You know, just uhh... I dunno... skipping it?"  
Vivian looked at him strangely. "But Atlan, this is the part where I come in. Don't you want to hear it?"  
"Well, umm... no." Atlan replied.  
Vivian looked down. "I understand..."  
God, she looked sad.  
And it killed him to see her sad.

Atlan reached across the table and ran his fingers through her hair. "No, Vivian, I didn't mean that. I DO wanna hear that part of the story. It's just, well... if there are any Duplighosts mentioned in the story, just uhh... don't say their name, OK?"  
Vivian looked up, confused. "Uhhh... OK... Are you sure?"  
God, the risk he was putting himself at just to make her happy! "Yes please. No naming of Duplighosts. Yeah..."

"Well, OK..." she said. She then continued. "You see, I was traveling with my sisters Marilyn and Beldam at the time, and at that point I was actually against Mario. The three of us had tried to fight him back in Boggly Woods, but we failed miserably. Sorry, kinda left that part out... Anyway, we were gonna use this thing called the Superbombomb to beat Mario, but then Beldam lost it, and she blamed me for it..."  
"Really??"  
"Yeah..."  
"That's not cool!"  
"I know. That Beldam really is something else... She threatened to give me the worst punishment ever if I didn't find it, but I just couldn't. It was then that Mario came along. However, I didn't know it was him because his name and body had been stolen! Can you believe it?"  
"Umm, –no! That's, err... unbelievable!" Atlan began shifting kinda funny in his seat.  
"I know! So anyway, Mario found the Superbombomb for me, but it was broken. I knew for sure Beldam was gonna kill me, so I began to cry right there, but Mario was so nice to me... He wiped my tears away and made me feel so much better. It was the first time I'd ever experienced someone else caring like that..."

Vivian took a second to admire the memory before continuing. "In exchange for his kindness, I agreed to help him get his name and body back. It turns out some freakish Duplighost had stolen his identity, and we had to find out his real name..."  
"Don't say his name, remember?" Atlan reminded.  
"Errm, right. Anyway, we did find the guy's name, and we ended up kicking his butt and getting another Crystal Star. Obviously, all of Mario's friends recognized me as a bad guy, but Mario stood up for me, and I became a member of their party! The single best moment of my life...! Anyway, the next Crystal Star was-"  
"What was the Duplighost like?"

Vivian was now very confused. "...You want to know about the Duplighost, but you don't even want to know its name?"  
"I'm just curious. What did you think of the guy?"  
"Atlan, you're starting to worry me. It seems like you're more interested in the Duplighost than you are in me..."  
Atlan laughed. "Aww, I'm sorry. It's just... I study Duplighosts, so... I was just curious."

"But I thought you were a doctor in training...?"

"In the off season."  
"Oh," Vivian said. "Well, in that case... this Duplighost was, well... Very energetic. Very funny. Almost seemed like he'd be a good friend, or at least a good party guy..."  
Atlan smiled at those remarks.  
"..If he weren't such a selfish, Crystal Star-loving jackass."  
Atlan frowned when she said that. Vivian noticed, but she didn't say anything.

Vivian proceeded to tell the rest of the tale, about how they got the final 7 Crystal Stars, opened the Thousand-Year Door, and defeated the X-nauts. However, she left out everything regarding the Shadow Queen. Atlan listened intently the entire time. When she finally finished, his only remark was "Wow..."

"Well," Atlan said, "It's gettin' late. I still gotta rent a room... Hehe! Well, thanks for coming, Vivian."  
"Thank you for inviting me," Vivian said.  
"I'll take care of the bill. You can go on back to your room. Got a big day ahead of you, ain't that right."  
"Yeah..." she said, wondering what tomorrow had in store for her. "Wish me luck?" she asked.  
"Wish you luck," he said.  
The two stood up and faced each other, smiling softly, not saying anything.

Vivian then floated in close. "Thank you Atlan. You've been really nice..."  
She then leaned in, slowly... hesitantly... and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.  
Blushing, she quickly waved good-bye and sank into her shadow.

Atlan was left standing alone, looking absolutely dumbfounded. Then, with a dreamy look on his face, he left some coins on the table, then stumbled towards that door that led outside.

...Doopliss walked a few paces into the trees and sighed. He was starting to feel uncomfortable in his Atlan body, so he promptly changed back into his old, ghostly self.  
And once he did, he smiled and ran into the small clearing. He spread his arms, spun around, and plopped down on the cool grass. He scooted backwards a bit until his back was against the damp trunk of a tree. He then lay back and stare up at the stars through the leaves of the towering trees.  
He couldn't believe it... He just couldn't believe it! Vivian kissed him! She _kissed_ him! The woman he loved had just given him a kiss... _on the lips_! Could life get any better? Honestly, no amount of happiness could compare to what he felt right then. His heart was thumping with such passion he had to put his hands on his chest to console it.

Doopliss stared up at the stars in the night sky. From within the strange light patterns, he could make out Vivian's lovely face.  
Her perfect hair...  
Her adorable rosy cheeks...  
Her lovely lips (that she KISSED him with)...  
Her eyes... Oh man, those eyes! What he wouldn't give to see them again...  
Lost in his thoughts, Doopliss closed his eyes and continued to daydream in pure bliss.

* * *

Ms Mowz and Flurrie sat at the restaurant table on the other side of the separating wall, listening to every bit of conversation. How intriguing! They even witnessed the first kiss!

The two peeked over the separating wall and saw Atlan walking towards the door that to a small grove of trees just outside the resort. Where was he going? Ms Mowz and Flurrie were dying to find out, so a few seconds after he walked through the door, they slyly walked over and slipped through themselves.

Flurrie and Ms Mowz treaded carefully through the gully of trees, careful to stay several steps behind Atlan.  
"Where do you think he's going?" Ms Mowz asked.  
"Well, the boy just got himself a kiss!" Flurrie said. "He's probably just enjoying life at the moment!"

The girls stopped when they saw Atlan stop in front of the small clearing. They watched as he spread his arms in a very odd way.  
And then came that familiar puff of purple smoke...  
And there came that familiar...  
Dude in a sheet??  
Ms Mowz covered her mouth as she gasped and Flurrie nearly toppled over. They just couldn't believe their eyes! This handsome Atlan fellow had been Doopliss the entire time! Doopliss, Scourge of the Creepy Steeple. Doopliss, the stupid, annoying, name-and-body-steeling bastard in a sheet. Doopliss... DOOPLISS!!  
However, to both their surprise, they saw him run into the clearing as if he'd just seen an angel, then plop on the grass and sit against a tree trunk. He put his hands over his heart, closed his eyes, and appeared to be daydreaming.

Flurrie's big lips then curved into a sly smile. "Ahh..." she said to herself, though loud enough for Ms Mowz to hear."...I see why Doopliss left the theater now. The love of his life is naught but our dear Vivian. Oh, bless his little heart!"  
But Ms Mowz had a cold look in her eye. "Flurrie, don't you remember what I said? Ever since Verdugo first claimed to have seen that monster come out of Vivian's throat... I said that if we ever saw Vivian condoning with an enemy from the past, we could assume that she wasn't on our side!"  
"Oh Ms Mowz, stop thinking like such a suspicious thief for one minute! Just look at the little dear!" Flurrie pointed to Doopliss, who was still sitting by the tree with his eyes closed and hands over his heart. It was noticed a tear of joyful love was making its way down his cheek. "The boy just got a kiss from the girl he loves! You or I couldn't imagine the feeling in his heart right now! How could you possibly accuse him of something bad? I mean, just look at him dreaming like that... Honestly, I think you pay far too much attention to your work and forgot that love is a real thing!"

Ms Mowz looked at Doopliss, who still hadn't moved from his spot. Well, he really DID look happy. In fact, if she didn't know him better, she'd have thought he was just a happy little guy incapable of evil. "Hmm..." she thought. "Maybe my _'thief's intuition' _isn't all it's cracked up to be. It does seem to go off and give negative responses all the time... Maybe love is something my life lacks?"  
"Maybe," Flurrie said. "We should be happy for him. And for Vivian."  
"But, it's _Doopliss_..." Ms Mowz repeated. "How do we know he isn't going to try to hurt Vivian later on down the road?"  
"The way he's acting right now after that kiss? I highly doubt it, honey."  
"Well, still... we should tell her Atlan's real identity. We have to tell her it's really Doopliss."

Flurrie gawked. "What?! No! Vivian would reject him, and it would just shatter his little heart..."  
"It's bound to happen sooner or later!" Ms Mowz reasoned. "Besides, Doopliss's whole 'Atlan' charade... He's basically setting himself up for a heartbreak! He doesn't realize that Vivian loves Atlan, not Doopliss! The longer he keeps this up, he's going to feel more and more depressed and he's never going to know why..."  
"Ho! So NOW you're worried about Doopliss's feelings!"  
"Oh, be quiet Flurrie! I'm not THAT heartless!"  
"Hehe... sorry."  
"...We should still keep an eye on these two, though. Just in case there is something funny going on..."  
"I doubt there is, but whatever. I'll be there with you no matter what!"  
"Thanks. Well, anyway, it's getting late. Let's head back to the room. I bet everyone's asleep already. Besides, we're looking for the Rainbow Relics tomorrow!"  
"I know! Another adventure with Mario! Isn't it exciting?"  
Giggling, the two girls walked back into the resort, with Doopliss still dreaming about his beloved Vivian under the light of the stars...

When Flurrie and Ms Mowz got back to the room, they found everyone still awake, yet getting ready for bed. Everyone looked as though they had just witnessed something phenomenal... especially Mario and Peach, who were looking at some sort of piece of paper and some shiny purple object, talking amongst themselves. Vivian, who exited the bathroom shortly after, didn't have the same look on her face as everyone else. She must've missed whatever happened.  
"Hey Vivian," Ms Mowz asked. "Did... something happen in here?"

Vivian was smiling away. "No, not that I know of..."  
"Oh, OK," Flurrie said. "Oh, and way to score with Atlan, dearie!"  
Vivian smiled. "Oh, thanks! Oh, and uh... don't go saying this in a very loud voice, but..." she leaned in close to Flurrie and Ms Mowz. "...I kissed him!"

Flurrie and Ms Mowz pretended to be surprised. "O RLY?"  
"YAH RLY!"  
"NO WAI!"  
"YAH W-... Wait, let's not start this..."  
"Oh, right."

At that point, it seemed whatever it was the Mario and Peach were obsessing over was done with, and Mario stood up. "OK everyone, ready for bed?"  
"Yeah..." everyone replied clumsily.  
"Alright, well, there's 4 queen size beds and a pull out bed in the closet, so... let's decide who gets which bed, alright?"

Mario climbed into one of the beds. Peach climbed in with him. Everyone else decided amongst themselves who would sleep with whom.  
Flurrie and Ms Mowz had no problem sharing a bed, so they took one for themselves.  
Koops volunteered to sleep in the pull-out bed. It was the least comfortable, but he preferred to sleep in his shell anyway.  
All the rest - Goombella, Vivian, Bobbery, and Verdugo, separated by gender. This suited Verdugo just fine, for to be honest, he was still a little reluctant to be near Vivian, let alone in the same bed as her. He didn't want any stomach monsters coming out of her mouth to eat him in his sleep.  
As everyone climbed into bed, Koops shut off the light. Within minutes, everyone was fast asleep, dreaming about the adventures that would begin the next day...


	4. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

**-_ On Fire, On Ice_ -**

"Rise and shine everybody!"

Goombella's excited voice caused everyone's eyes to flutter open, but no one actually got out of bed. The sound of shutters opening ensued, and the room was suddenly filled with blinding sunlight. "Get up!" Goombella cried. "We haveta start looking for the Rainbow Relics today!"

Koops finally got the energy to crawl out of his shell and sit up in his bed. "What time is it?" he asked.  
"8 'o clock!" Goombella replied.  
"Ugh... That's too early to wake up on vacation..."  
"Koops, we are NOT on vacation! We are on very important business here!"  
"Oh right, sorry... Forgot for a sec that helping the Gods to protect the world was 'important business'... hehe... Alright, I'll get up."

Goombella was looking around at everyone else. Everyone except maybe Bobbery looked as though they were thinking about waking up.  
However, at that moment, a horrible feeling came over her. An image flashed in her mind... A bed, flinging up into a vertical position, and the sound of someone screaming...  
Koops!

Goombella turned to Koops with wide eyes. "Koops, be careful!"  
"Wha-? Why?" he asked, still half-asleep. He was reaching for the release that would make the bed rise up into its upright position in the closet.  
"Koops, DON'T!!"  
Too late. Koops pulled the release. The bed swiftly pulled up, and Koops' trousers got caught on the metal frame. He was lifted up with the bed... by the seat of his pants!

"OOOOOOF!!" It was the only sound that escaped Koops's throat as he was lifted up. After that, it was a silent struggle. Only muffled gasps and wheezes were heard as Koops frantically swung around trying to free himself. His face turned blue and his eyes were shut tight and leaking tears. Everyone took notice. "KOOOPS!" they all cried, rushing out of bed and coming to his aid.  
Flurrie floated up to see if she could somehow dislodge his trousers from the bed frame, but her large fingers wouldn't allow it. "I can't get him loose!" she yelled.  
After several seconds of gasping and panting, Koops finally worked up the oxygen to say "Pull the release!!"  
Mario asked no questions. He ran over and pulled it, causing the bed to topple over. Everyone scrammed out of the way as it fell with a SLAM right on top of Koops!  
Verdugo slowly approached and looked under the bed. There lay Koops tranquilly, his eyes still wet. "...You alright?"  
Koops sighed. "Never better..."  
"It's hell, ain't it?"  
"Oh yeah..."  
"'TOMIC WEDGIE!!" Goombella yelled. "You guys canNOT deny it anymore! You believe that it's true! You just have to now!"  
Everyone stood around in silence for a while, not sure whether or not to believe anything. Two people so far had succumbed to the awful Atomic Wedgie in less than 24 hours...

Peach finally broke the silence. "Well, interesting way to start out the day, hm?"  
Bobbery finally snorted and woke up, seeing everyone standing around the closet bed. "Eh? What'd I miss?"

The next half-hour was all preparing. They all got dressed, ate a little Dried Shroom for breakfast, and basically pumped themselves up for adventure!  
Once everyone was ready, Peach and Mario called for everyone to meet at the desk against the wall. Everyone did so to see what was up. Peach sprawled out a map on the desk, and Mario took out a glowing purple orb.  
"Everyone take a look," Peach said, pointing at the Map. "I'm not sure if all of you know this, but I found this map in the storeroom of my castle a little while after you guy finished your last adventure. Mario and I had tried to figure it out, but all it showed was a bunch of unmarked landmasses with one of them marked with an X. I don't remember bringing it with me when I came on the boat, but I happened to find it in my bag, and when I looked at it, the land with the X on it was now labeled as 'Morteva'... and now look at it..."  
They all looked, and saw the map was now a zoomed up image of Morteva itself, with all the towns and landmasses labeled and everything.  
"So... you're saying this map has changed again?" Vivian asked.

"Yup," Mario said, "And that's not all. Look..." he held up the orb in his hand. "This is the crystal ball Reinus gave to us yesterday. I'm sure most of you saw it, but last night, the inside of it suddenly erupted with this weird purple and black smoke... in fact, Vivian? Flurrie? Ms Mowz? You guys didn't see it happen, right?"  
"No," they all answered in unison.  
"Right, well... something else happened, too. This weird purple wisp escaped from the ball and imprinted this odd symbol on the map..."  
"Yeah, see?" Peach said, pointing.  
On the map, printed in black ink, was what appeared to be two hands clasping together. The symbol was printed on a landmark that was labeled "Magmalt Mountain" on the Map.

"Remember how Reinus said that this crystal ball had the power to locate the Rainbow Relics? Well, I think when used with this map, it can!"  
"Incredible!" Bobbery said. "So we can assume that this mark shows the location of one of the Rainbow Relics, then? Very good!"  
"Magmalt Mountain..." Verdugo repeated the name. "Hey guys, think maybe that's the ice-covered volcano we saw on the way here?"  
"It's a fitting name, certainly..." Flurrie reasoned."Well, it's settled then! Let's find our way to Magmalt Mountain everyone!"

They all cheered and began to head for the door. Koops, however, was falling noticably behind. Goombella stayed with him. "How ya doin'?" she asked sympathetically.  
"Ugh... not good," he said. "That was just plain awful. I sure hope we can have a word with Uber before the next person in line gets their wedgie. No one deserves pain like that..."  
"Koops,_ I'm _next."  
"Oh, well... I guess you're lucky then, huh? Heheh."

While everyone was walking out the door, Peach kind of stayed back. "Umm... guys? I know I agreed to come to Morteva with all of you, but... I didn't realize we would be going on such a rigorous adventure. It's not exactly 'Code of Conduct' for princesses to do that sort of thing, so I think I'll just stay here. I'd just get in everyone's way if I went..."

Everybody looked at one another...  
Should they just let Peach stay?

* * *

It was a clear and sunny morning as the gang made the mild trek across the Plains of Eden before they found themselves standing in the chilly foothills of the mighty Magmalt Mountain. Jagged icicle formations stuck out from the slopes, and the higher up it got, it appeared to become more barren and ash-covered. A peaceful ring of smoke circled the peak. It truly was a sight to see.

Peach was there as well, her arms crossed. "I can't believe I let you all talk me into coming..." she said grumpily. "You know how I feel about ice-covered volcanoes!"  
"Umm... not really," Mario blurted.  
"Well, I don't like 'em! Besides, what makes you think I'd offer anything good to the party anyway?"  
"Hello??" Goombella called out. "Super Smash Bros Melee??"  
"Yeah, you weren't... _that_ bad a fighter in that game..." Verdugo said.  
"What about Super Princess Peach?" Koops suggested. "We all know THAT game was really, umm... hardcore."  
"Ugh, whatever," Peach moaned. "Let's just get climbing already."

And so, the team began to scale the frigid slopes of Magmalt Mountain. The jagged ice formations were very sharp and dangerous, and more often than not, the team would suffer several cuts and tears in their efforts to pull their way over. The upper part of the mountain looked easier to climb, so they all anticipated the time when they passed the lower icy part. The lower part was also very cold, but they figured the volcanic peak offered warmth for the upper part of the mountain, so that was just another reason to keep moving.

About halfway up the mountain's ice-covered bottom, Bobbery spotted a group of about six Eskimo-like people. They appeared to be natives of the mountain, so he called to them. "Ahoy over there!" he cried. "Mind lending us a hand?"  
These people, dressed in large woolly parkas, edged over to meet with the travelers. "Hello," said the rather large woman who appeared to be the leader. "Why do you climb our mountain?"

"We're looking for a Rainbow Relic," Mario said. "Have you heard of it?"  
"Rainbow Relic..." the woman murmured to herself. "Yes, it sounds familiar... Where do you plan to find it?"  
"Umm, well... we're just climbing cuz we're sort of guessing it's at the top."  
The group behind the woman began to mumble amongst themselves. She herself looked rather concerned.  
"The mountain's peak is home to a horrible, hexic tribe called the Tukatajon, or 'ash diggers' in our native language. We advise you not go up there."  
"But we have to," Mario said. "We're on a mission from the Gods..."  
"Gods..." she repeated to herself. "If you have to climb the mountain, then I guess you can go... but the Tukatajon are not to be trusted. If they try to speak to you, continue moving. They are vicious humanoid beasts that would gladly cook up travelers like yourselves and eat you up!"  
Goombella didn't like the sound of that. She quickly considered just sliding right back down the mountain.  
"We'll take our chances," Mario said.  
"Hmm... Very well," the woman replied. "Just to be nice, I'll give each of you one of these to make your trek a bit easier..."  
She reached into a small sack on her belt and counted out nine small red leaves. She held them out in her gloved hand, and each member of the party took one. "These are fire herbs," she explained. "Eat them, and they will warm your body right up!"

Mario promptly ate his, and from his stomach, he could feel a mellow and relaxing heat begin to flow through his veins and warm up his body, blocking the cold weather of the mountain. He suddenly felt the energy to continue climbing. Everyone else did so as well.  
"Wow, that was great!" Mario exclaimed. "Thank you! I'm sorry, what was your name again?"  
"Onjalamanjalashinkyboo."  
"Uhh... right. Well, thanks... Sally." Mario said, continuing to climb. He and his friends waved good-bye to the Eskimos as they continued to climb the jagged, icy slope.

After about an hour of scaling, the ground had begun to feel ashy. They had finally reached the warm upper part of the mountain! Yay! However, remembering the Eskimo woman's threat, they kept an eye out for these cannibalistic 'Tukatajon' people...  
About halfway up the ashy slope, Peach began to feel the ground beneath her rumbling, causing many sooty rocks to slide down the slope behind her. Volcanic activity was building up right beneath her heels, and she knew it...

"OKADOWA!!"

A rope suddenly flew out from nowhere and wrapped around Peach's waist, tightening around her and beginning to pull into a pit dug into the side of the mountain. The cannibals were trying to capture her!!  
"HELP MEEE!!" she cried, trying to resist the pull of the rope. However, whatever was pulling from within that pit was tugging hard. Mario saw the scene happening a bit down the slope and

ran down to Peach's aid. Koops and Ms Mowz were already down there tugging on the rope, trying to free her. Mario grabbed her hands in hopes of pulling her loose from the grasp of the cannibals.  
All the while, shouts and hollers of foreign tongues were sounding from within the pit, and a masked face even popped from within to taunt the travelers, especially Peach, who was finding she was running out of energy by the second. The evil beasts would soon have her...

Suddenly, the rope went slack...  
And a massive jolt yanked it hard, causing Mario, Peach, Koops and Ms Mowz to stumble several feet down the slope.  
And not a second later, the very spot where Peach was standing suddenly exploded in a huge blast of rocks, ashes and fire.  
The debris of the explosion began to tumble down towards them. The rope was pulled hard again, bringing all four of them into the pit with the cannibals. Once in the pit, they watched the debris roll right over the entrance, leaving them unscathed.

The next thing Peach knew, a small masked man about half her size was helping undo the rope around her waist.  
Mario, Peach, Ms Mowz and Koops looked into the cave they had been dragged into, and saw several of these little people holding the rope. They didn't appear dangerous at all.  
In fact...

"They saved you, Peach," Koops reasoned. "They knew the spot you were on was gonna blow up, and they tried to pull you out of the way!"

Peach looked at the masked race in shock. "Really...?"  
"Oh dear..." Ms Mowz said. "And here we thought they were evil cannibals! That's what that Eskimo woman said..."

"I think I sense a bit of distrust between these two races," Mario said. "They both have basically saved us on this mountain already, yet I bet if we could communicate with these guys, I bet they'd say all sorts of mean things about the Eskimo people, too..."  
"How unfair," Ms Mowz said. "Why is it that people of different races, let alone people that live on the same mountain for goodness sake, can never get along?"  
"I'm not sure," Peach said. She turned to all the little people. "...But thank you. Thank you all..."  
They all spoke a bit of funny gibberish, as though in response.

Mario then got a thought. "Hey, maybe these guys know about the Rainbow Relic here! Peach, got the map?"  
Peach reached into her pocket and handed him the Map. Mario knelt down beside the nearest Tukatajon dude, opened the Map, and pointed to the symbol that showed the two hands clasping together. "Do you know where this is?" he asked slowly.  
The little guy examined the symbol for a little bit, then turned to his brethren. He clasped his own hands together as the ones in symbol did and held his hands up. "Ochiko?" he asked.  
They all clasped their hands and shouted. "OCHIKO!!"

The little guy then ran out of the cave and pointed up the mountain. All four of them ran out to see what he was pointing at.  
"Ochiko," he repeated, doing the hand-clasp symbol. He then pointed up at the mountain's peak, which was slowly leaking smoke.  
The guy pointed with his finger at the peak, then made a motion with his finger that showed going up, over, and down. "Ochiko," he repeated again.

"Umm..." Koops thought. "I think he's trying to say we have to go into the volcano's peak to get, umm... 'Ochiko'."  
"Ochiko!" the little guy cried excitedly, doing the hand-clasp again.  
"I think you're right," Mario said. "But you know what? These guys seem like they know how to survive on this mountain. Maybe even inside the volcano. Should we, I dunno... bring some along?"

"I suppose we could take one along." Peach thought.  
"Yeah, I guess one's good enough... We may as well just take this little guy! He seems to know a bit about 'ochiko'."  
"OCHIKO!" he cried.  
"Well, OK..." Koops said. "Though, that 'ochiko' stuff's getting kind of annoying."  
"Well I think it's adorable!" Ms Mowz said. "Let's bring him along!"

Mario nodded and walked a bit of the way up the slope. By now, all the party members that weren't involved in the little fiasco earlier had made their way down to see what was up.  
"Are those the little cannibals that the Eskimo woman mentioned?" Flurrie asked.  
"Yeah, but they're not cannibals. They're cool," Mario replied. He then made a 'come' gesture with his arms to the Tutakajon guy that was still down there. When he saw Mario's motions, he pointed to himself as though saying "Me?"  
"Yeah, come!" Mario said, continuing the gesture.  
The guy jumped in excitement and ran up next to Mario. "Ochiko!" he exclaimed.  
"Yup, 'ochiko'..." Mario repeated.

As the nine made their way towards the peak with their new guide, he waved good-bye down at his buddies and yelled some indecipherable gibberish. And, not surprisingly, the only word any of them were able to make out was "Ochiko!!"  
The gang eventually reached the peak and peered into the humongous crater. A constant stream of thin smoke leaked from within, but looking down inside, they saw nothing but blackness. None of them were eager to see what was down there...  
None of them except little dude.  
"Minka!" he yelled excitedly. He pulled a rope from his belt, tied it around a jagged rock next to the crater, threw the remainder of the rope inside, and began to climb down into the smoky blackness like a frickin' monkey. "MINKA!" he called up as he descended until he disappeared into the darkness.  
"Dude, that little guy is AWESOME!" Verdugo exclaimed. "What should we name him?"  
"Verdugo, he's not our pet." Peach reasoned. "He's the key to our survival on this mountain, and in that crater."  
"I say we name him Tuka!" Mario blurted, completely ignoring what Peach just said. "You know, short for 'Tukatajon'?"  
"Works for me!" Verdugo said, laughing along with Mario while Peach crossed her arms and shook her head.  
Mario then grabbed the rope and began to slide down. "I have no idea where this leads, but Tuka seems to know what he's doing. May as well trust him!"

Flurrie didn't need to use the rope. She simply floated carefully into the crater on her own, though she kept a finger on the rope so she wouldn't end up anywhere dangerous. Vivian didn't need to use the rope either. She simply threw her tail over the edge and allowed it to feel around the floor of the crater. This was very risky, as she couldn't see at all what was down there. In fact, she half-expected her tail to land in boiling lava, but to her surprise, the ground she felt was actually very cold. Once she was sure it was safe, she carefully lowered her body down into the crater with her tail. As Mario and the rest carefully made their way down the rope, Flurrie and Vivian met Tuka in what they appropriately dubbed Magmalt Crater. Both Flurrie and Vivian were completely amazed by what they saw. "Mario! Peach! Everyone! Come down quick! You HAVE to see this!"

Hearing Flurrie and Vivian's shouts convinced everyone on the rope that it was safe to descend a bit faster. Plus, they wanted to see what the commotion was all about! The seven on the rope slid down quickly and landed on the icy ground one by one. Once they all landed, they stared at the cavern before them in awe and wonder...  
Strewn across the cavern bottom were several igneous stalagmites and bubbling lakes of magma, yet there were also glittering ice formations and large sheets of ice that looked like skating rinks. The ceiling dripped with fiery lava rock stalagmites as well as pointed icicles. Magmalt Cavern certainly was the one of most stunning natural wonders any of them had ever seen.

Tuka ran up to an icy stalagmite and chipped a piece off. He then scraped some ash off a nearby lava rock and rolled the ice piece around in it, creating a little ash-covered ice chip. He then took a bite out of it and munched away happily. He held it out in his hand towards Peach. "Yumiyum?" he asked.  
"Oh, no thank you," she answered politely.  
"No?" he asked.  
"No."  
"I'll have some, I guess..." Vivian said, who was pretty hungry.  
"Yumiyum?" Tuka asked her.  
"Umm, yes please. Yumiyum."  
He handed her the rest of his ashy ice chip and she reluctantly licked it.  
"Mmmm..." she replied, surprised by it's sweet taste. "It tastes like a Fire Pop!" She sucked happily on her odd little snack.  
"Shugah!" Tuka exclaimed, pointing at it.  
"I guess it's called 'shugah'..." Goombella laughed. "Hehe, it sounds like he's saying 'sugar'! Isn't he just the cutest little thing?"

"Little?' Bobbery asked. "Miss Goombella, Tuka is 6 inches taller than you!"

And so, the team began their dangerous expedition into the depths of Magmalt Cavern. Lava lakes, sharp ice crystals, and slippery ice sheets were a constant hazard, and there were a few bumps and bruises along the way. Koops even got himself a nice burn on his left elbow from a burning stalagmite he accidentally rubbed against. All the while, they would stop to make some 'shugah' to snack on and keep their energy up. Oddly, the deeper they went, the colder it became. The dangerous lava pits were soon their only salvation against the frigid cavern air.

About an hour into their spelunking adventure, Mario suddenly caught sight of movement in the cave. "Look!" Mario said. "I see something!"  
"Ochiko?" Tuka wondered, running through the cave to see what it was.

Suddenly a cry was heard, and Tuka came running back. He hid behind Peach's dress, shaking. "What is it?" Verdugo asked. "Is there something over there we should kill?"  
To their surprise, several parka-clad Eskimos suddenly burst forth from an ice wall and surrounded the group with spears. The woman leader they had met earlier was there was well. "Where is it?!" she asked firmly.  
"Where's what?" Mario asked. "Tuka?"  
"Tuka?" the woman asked. "You mean 'Tukatajon'! Did I not warn you about them? I know I saw one run past here. Where did it go?!"  
"OK, we have one with us, but-"  
The Eskimo people all readied their spears when they heard that. "Where?!" the woman screamed.  
"No, you don't understand!" Mario cried. "He's our guide!"

The Eskimos all muttered at one another in confusion. The woman herself seemed puzzled. "You mean, one of them is helping you??"  
Confident that maybe they had changed their minds about him, Mario pointed out Tuka behind Peach's dress. He motioned for Tuka to come out, who complied, but was shaking and cowering like a frightened animal. "This is Tuka. He's helping us. Don't hurt him."

But the woman didn't appear to be listening. She only had a look of hate in her eyes when she saw the little figure.  
"Kill it!" she ordered. All the Eskimo men and woman charged with their spears.  
"NOOO!!" Everyone in the party screamed, as they tried to run forth and protect him.

However, before anyone could make another move, a loud sound erupted from within the cave.  
It sounded like a grunt of some sort. An ancient, stony kind of grunt. It echoed off the fiery boulders and icy pillars of the cave.

Then suddenly, a twenty-foot tall totem pole slid out from the darkness and stopped in front of all of them. It was composed of four separate heads. The head on the bottom appeared to be an ice sculpture, while the one above it looked like it was carved from lava rock. The top two heads were the same as the bottom two. And none of the four heads looked happy to see them.  
"RAAAAAAWWWWWRRRRR!!" they yelled in unison.  
At that moment, all tension within the cave was lost, as all their attention was on this hostile looking totem pole...  
The totem them erupted in a blast of fire and icicles, indicating that it meant business!

The Eskimos readied their spears, Mario and the gang prepped for battle, and Tuka himself whipped out his rope as though ready to whip some totem pole ass! The four heads all groaned menacingly...  
"Let us fight!" the Eskimo woman yelled.

Everyone immediately sprung into action, whacking the totem pole with all they had while dodging a deadly rain of fireballs and ice shards that spewed from the totem's four mouths. The Eskimos began to climb the igneous pillars surrounding the battle arena. Upon reaching the ceiling, they took out a bunch of sickles and began to hack away and some of the hanging icicles, hoping to make them fall on the fire head on top of the totem pole. In the process of dodging bunches of fireballs and ice blasts, Mario caught sight of the Eskimos' work. He knew what they were trying to do, but they just weren't doing it fast enough.  
Mario then saw Bobbery nearby and grabbed him. "Wanna fly?" Mario asked.  
"Umm, n-not exactly, old boy-"  
"Too late!" Mario shouted. He then threw Bobbery at the icicle/stalactite-covered ceiling, where he exploded on contact. The resulting explosion caused a sharp rain of icicles that impaled the fire head on top of the totem. Being vulnerable to ice, the head stopped shooting fire. It went lifeless and toppled off the top, smashing to pieces on the ground.  
One down, three to go.

Vivian had gotten frozen from an ice blast, but Koops thankfully rushed over and used his tough shell to break her free.  
"Thanks Koops," she said, shivering.  
"Your welcome. Now do something about that ice head!"  
"My pleasure!" She looked at the ice head that was now on top thanks to the previous fire head being destroyed. THAT was the one that had frozen her. In a wave of vengeance, she pointed her finger at it, causing it to erupt in flames so hot that the head melted and became vapor in an instant.  
She then thrust her finger towards the other ice head at the bottom of the totem... But nothing happened.  
"What's wrong?" Koops asked.  
"Not enough FP..." Vivian said, her cheeks red.  
"Can't you just do Shade Fist?"  
"Guess I have no choice. Here I go!" She began to boldly advance to make her move...

Suddenly, the ice head on the bottom sprouted several 10-foot icicles from its body, driving Vivian and everyone else back. The two remaining heads began to spin, creating a deadly icicle top that looked as though it could shred them all in half. All the while, the fire head on top began to spit out a constant stream of fireballs that were flung at dangerous velocity by the totem's wild spinning.  
It then proceeded to advance towards them.  
"Uh-oh..." Vivian said.  
"Retreat!!" Verdugo shouted.

Mario, his party, and even the Eskimos began to back up. However, little Tuka stood his ground, tying his rope into what looked like a lasso.  
"Tuka! Be careful!!" Goombella called out.

But Tuka wasn't listening. He finally got his rope ready and was twirling it around, ready to tangle the wildly spinning totem.  
"He's crazy!" Mario exclaimed.  
"All the Tukatajon are crazy!" the Eskimo woman yelled.

The spinning fan of sharp icicles was mere feet from Tuka, and the rain of fireballs fell all over the very ground he stood on, but he stood there boldly twirling his rope.  
"Throw it already!" Peach yelled.  
"HIYA!!" cried Tuka as he hurled the lasso high into the air. It rose, flew, and fell...  
Right over the fire head on top!  
Tuka yanked as hard as he could, dislodging the heavy fiery head from on top of the ice head. He then heaved the lasso around, and smashed the two heads together with the force of a sonic boom! The two heads were sent sliding across a large sheet of ice. The heat of the fire head caused it to melt its way through the ice as it slid, eventually melting the ice down into water which put it out. The ice head continued to slide, but eventually splashed right into a pool of boiling magma, where it instantly melted.  
Tuka coiled his rope back up and turned around. Everyone stared at him in shock.  
Even the Eskimos were impressed!  
Tuka hopped up and down excitedly. "KIKASS!!"

Suddenly, a bright light shone from the darkness of the cave. The light grew bigger, as though it were coming closer...  
It glowed a fantastic red.  
"Could it be...?" the Eskimo woman asked.

Tuka slowly raised his arm and pointed. "Ochiko..."

He turned to them all. "Ochiko!" he cried happily. "OCHIKO!"  
The Eskimos all immediately armed their spears and pointed them at him. "No!" the woman shouted. "No ochiko!"  
"What's your problem??" Mario asked. "All he's saying is 'ochiko'..."  
The woman turned to him with a stern look. "_'Ochiko' _is the word for 'hate' or 'kill' in our native language! When he shouts that word, it means he hates us and plans to kill us! The little devils say it all the time! That's why we plan to kill them all first!"

Mario and co then understood it all. The root of the distrust between the Eskimos and Tukatajon - It was all a misunderstanding concerning their languages. None of the party knew exactly what Tuka or his kind meant when they said 'ochiko', but it definitely didn't seem like it meant anything like 'hate' or 'kill'...  
Dear," Flurrie said to the woman. "I'm no translator, but I refuse to believe that this little tyke would ever want to harm any of you. Perhaps that word means something different in their language?"  
The woman and all the Eskimos still held their spear points close to the whimpering Tuka, not entirely convinced.  
"Oh my goodness!" Ms Mowz cried. "Look at THAT!"

The red light then erupted from the darkness and took a solid shape in front of them all.  
It was a red, ruby sculpture of two hands clasping one another. Just as the symbol on the Map had shown.  
Tuka clasped his hands and showed them to the Eskimos around him. "Ochiko..." he said timidly.  
They were all confused by this. What did that word mean to him?

Mario stepped close to the figure that floated before him. "You guys..." he said. "I think this is the Rainbow Relic!"  
He hesitantly put his gloved hands on it, and it glowed a mellow red.  
He then held it up over his head for all to see...

_**You got the Red Rainbow Relic! Also known as the Hands of Friendship!**_

_**  
**_"OCHIKO!!" Tuka yelped, pushing his way through the Eskimos' spears up to Mario. He stood in front of him, looked up, and held his open hand up to him.  
"Ochiko," he repeated.  
Mario studied Tuka's hand, then held his out as well. The two clasped hands, exactly the way the Relic itself respresented.  
"Ochiko!" he said once more.  
"You know what?" Mario said. "I'm not sure, but I think... 'ochiko' means something like 'friendship' in his language."  
The Eskimos looked at one another, stunned. Could it be true?

Tuka released Mario's hand, walked over to the Eskimo woman, and held his hand up to her. "Ochiko?" he asked innocently.  
The woman looked down at Tuka, with a look of fear and hate.  
However, she finally gave a faint smile and clasped her hand with his. "Ochiko..." she said slowly.  
Tuka then jumped and hooted and hollered. Everyone laughed warmly at the sight before them.  
Even the Eskimo woman laughed. "Well, thank you strangers. I'm glad you came to our mountain. Perhaps a new bond between our races has been born..."  
"Let's hope so," Mario said. He then turned to his party. "Well, we got ourselves a Rainbow Relic! Wanna head back out!"  
"Definitely!" they all shouted.

Mario then looked down at Tuka. "Well, see ya little buddy!"  
Tuka jumped and hugged Mario around his waist.  
"Omigosh, that is too CUTE!" Goombella squealed.

* * *

Bowser carefully landed the Koopa Klown Car on Morteva's dock, and he and Crump quickly jumped out. "So, this is Morteva?" Bowser asked. "Not too impressive, if you ask me..."  
"Yeah, the moon's way cooler!" Crump said.  
"You fools!" Grodus yelled, hopping out of the Klown Car. "This is the land of the Gods themselves!"  
"What do the Gods mean to you?" Bowser asked. "You're not even from earth..."  
"I know, but they may have some powerful relics or something that would be good to rule the world with..."  
"Umm... sir?" Crump asked, "Didn't we try that plan already with the Crystal Stars? That ended up not working out too well..."  
"That's only because Mario was there to defeat the Shadow Queen!"  
"Well," Bowser snarled, "Mario wouldn't have given a rat's ass about your plans if you had kidnaped ANY girl in the world other than Princess Peach."  
"Yes, I know. Stupid Shadow Sirens... Why'd they have to capture Peach, of all women?" Grodus grumbled. "Do you know THEY were the ones who came to ME telling about the Crystal Stars and the Shadow Queen and whatnot? Telling me that I could use the Shadow Queen's power to rule the world? Hell, I should've realized they were using me from the start. Stupid witches..."  
"Say, which do you hate more?" Bowser asked. "Vivian or Beldam?"  
"Marilyn," Grodus answered. "Fat-ass couldn't even talk. But let's see, out of those two... Beldam used me and took the revival of the Shadow Queen into her own hands, but Vivian turned against me and KILLED the Shadow Queen. Hmm... Good question. I don't know. I'd gladly strangle them both if I had hands..."  
Bowser and Crump chuckled a bit.

"Shut up! Both of you!" ordered Grodus. "The Shadow Sirens are old news and are no longer our concern. Our concern is Princess Peach."  
"Then would it bother you that Vivian is here with Princess Peach's group?" Bowser asked.  
"You imbecile, I already know that! You're the one who told me that Vivian was the one who invited Mario to Morteva in the first place! However, when we do find them, I'll gladly kill Vivian before allowing you to capture Princess Peach. Once we do, I'll do the bluffing, get TEC to help rebuild the X-naut base, and everyone will be happy."  
"Uh, OK... but we have to find them first," Crump said stupidly.  
"No shit, Sherlock!" Bowser growled.  
Crump looked at him. "...My name's not Sherlock."  
"Perhaps the obvious does need to be stated once in a while," Grodus said. "We'd best get looking. If only we knew what the heck Mario and them were doing here, we'd have an idea of where to look..."

Bowser then heard a familiar flapping sound from overhead. He looked up and saw Parakarry flying towards him. "Bowser!" he exclaimed. "It's good to see you finally made it!"  
"What do you mean 'finally'?" Bowser growled.  
"Why, I've been flyin' round here for about an hour lookin' for Vivian. Seein' as ya'll are here, I guess it's safe to ask - have you seen her?"  
"Parakarry, we just got here 30 SECONDS AGO!!"  
"Oh, right... Sorry 'bout that. I haveta ask though, why are you here?"  
"Same reason as usual - kidnap the Princess."  
"Oh, shameful..." Parakarry said, closing his eyes and shaking his head. Bowser snarled and resisted the urge to eat Parakarry alive.

"And who are these two again?" he asked, looking at Grodus and Crump.  
"Hi, I'm Lord Crump, and this is Grodus," Crump formally introduced.  
"That's SIR Grodus to you, you twit."  
"Nice ta meet ya! Why are you travelin' with Bowser?" Parakarry wondered.  
"Well," Crump began, "We're gonna help Bowser kidnap the Princess so that-"  
"_WHY_ is it any of your business?" Grodus shouted, deliberately interrupting Crump.  
"Err... sorry. I suppose it really _ain't_ my business," Parakarry admitted. "Now, I don't approve of ya'll kidnappin' no princesses, but as you said, it ain't my issue. All's I wanna know is where Vivian is so I can apologize to her for messin' up her important delivery. If you find her, lemme know, OK?"  
"I doubt it would be worth it," Grodus reasoned. "You see, your stupid apology isn't our problem. We are only here for the Princess. And yes, we CAN assume Vivian will be with her, but even so, once we have the Princess, we're not just going to look around for you to tell you where Vivian is. Besides, due to reasons I don't care to explain, I plan on killing Vivian the second I allow Bowser to kidnap Peach."  
Parakarry's eyes opened wide in surprise. "What in tarnation?? Why on earth would you wanna kill Vivian? She's just about the sweetest little thing I ever met!"  
"I do not care," Grodus said. "However, you and I are looking for the same group of people... If you wish to race us to find them, you may. Although, there is an alternative..."  
"What's that?"  
"You JOIN us in the search for Peach and Vivian."

Parakarry looked at the three with angry eyes. "No way!" he cried. "No way I'd ever join the ranks of evil dumbos like you!"  
"DUMBOS??" Bowser roared.  
"Calm yourself," Grodus said to Bowser. He turned back to Parakarry. "Now then Parakarry, here's the deal - If you join us in this search, I promise to let you tell Vivian whatever it is you want, and I'll think about sparing her life. However, if you choose not to join us - and WE find them first - I slaughter Vivian with the most hideous cruelty I can muster, and leave her body in a place where you will find it. That way, she will never hear your apology."  
"And... what's to become of Peach?" Parakarry asked.  
"Peach is kidnaped no matter what. Her fate is sealed," Grodus explained. "This, my friend, is about Vivian. Do you wish to tell her how sorry you are for ruining her delivery?"  
"Y-yes..." he stammered.  
"And are you really willing to risk her life?"  
"I... I don't know."  
"THINK about it!" Grodus yelled.  
"Yeah, think about it!" Crump repeated, totally clueless as to what was happening.  
"Shut up!" Grodus ordered.

Parakarry thought long and hard about his predicament. If he joined Grodus, Bowser and Crump in the search for Mario's group, he'd definitely get the chance to talk to Vivian. However, Peach would surely be kidnaped, and Grodus didn't actually promise that he would spare Vivian's life.  
On the other hand, if he decided not to help them and went in search of Mario on his own...  
If the three villains found them first, Peach would be kidnaped and Vivian would be killed, no matter what.  
But if HE found them first, he could talk to Vivian as he wished, and also see to it that both Vivian and Peach could be kept safely out of Bowser and Grodus's reach.  
Tough call...

Parakarry thought a bit, then said, "I'll tell you what - I'll consider goin' with you, but only on two conditions."  
Grodus knew Parakarry's ability to fly would prove invaluable in their search. In fact, with that in mind, it made him gawk at how stupid Parakarry was for even considering to join them. After all, Parakarry had wings, and Grodus didn't even have legs! But whatever.  
"...Name them," Grodus said, listening intently.  
"Righty. Number 1 - Before we head out, you have to tell me every bit of yer plan. I want ya to tell me exactly why you hope ta capture the princess, and why the hell you would ever plan on killin' Vivian. I want ALL the details. Understood?"

Grodus figured Parakarry knowing their plans wasn't a huge deal if he really did plan on staying with them the whole way. However, if he just told them to him before they set off, Parakarry could easily just fly off with all the info. That wouldn't have been good, so he made a proposition in response. "I can do that. However, we will NOT tell you the plan right here. We will give you the details as we travel, and I will only speak when I choose to. Agreed?"  
Parakarry thought about that a bit, and nodded. "Agreed."  
"And what of your second condition, sir Parakarry?"  
Parakarry took a breath. "And Number 2 - You said earlier that if I joined you, I would be able to apologize ta Vivian, and that you might think about sparin' her life. Well, I want you to swear to me that you WILL spare her. Please, I don't know why you'd wanna kill her, but promise we that you ain't gonna..."  
Parakarry stared at Grodus anxiously, who looked to be thinking hard about the issue.

Grodus finally came to a conclusion. "Very well. If you help us find them, I promise not to kill Vivian."  
"Honest?"  
"Honest."  
"Alright then. I just may consider goin' with you..."  
Grodus interrupted his thoughts. "HOWEVER... Parakarry. If I'm to go along with these conditions, I must raise the stakes a bit in our favor, too. Now... first of all, I will have Bowser shackle you so you can't fly away during the day or at night. Secondly, I wouldn't want you to just blurt out our whole plan in front of Mario and Peach and everyone else when we find them. Why would I risk that, let alone with a big-mouthed buffoon like you? You seem trustworthy, but I can't be sure. What do you think I should do if you try to tell them everything?"  
"I dunno..." Parakarry said.  
"...If you tell them so much as a single detail, I will kill you. Right in front of them all."  
Parakarry gulped. What was the point of knowing the whole plan if he couldn't warn Vivian and Peach and the rest of them about it? It all seemed to start back at square one from that point. However, he knew that if he joined the villains, at least Vivian's safety was guaranteed...

"And what of Peach?" Parakarry asked.  
"I already told you - unless you decide to go solo and you find them first, Peach will be kidnaped, no matter what."  
"Oh, right..."  
"Now Parakarry, don't forget - Even if you do go alone, find them first, and warn them about our presence on the island, you'll still have no idea of our intentions. And besides, as I said - we're are on an _island_. Even if you do find them, getting them to safety will be a difficult task. Parakarry, we WILL find Mario and his party eventually, whether you're with their group or not."  
"And if I am?" Parakarry asked.  
Grodus sighed. "I kill you, of course. I kill you, Vivian, and I kidnap the princess."  
Parakarry's brain hurt from thinking too much. With all these conditions to take into consideration, he had no idea what to choose. What should he do??

Parakarry finally decided that he would never join the ranks of evil. And even if they were on an island with no escape, he could at least warn Vivian and Peach so they could prepare for Grodus, Crump and Bowser's arrival. He regretted not knowing anything about Grodus's plan, but that didn't matter. All Peach and Vivian needed to know was that they were in danger and needed to be cautious.

"No," Parakarry finally said. "Even under the circumstances, I ain't gonna join the likes of you!"  
"Parakarry, think about what you're saying!" Grodus growled.  
"I've already thought about it, and I've made up meh mind! Good day to you, sir!" Without another word, he began to fly off in search of Mario and his party. No one made any effort to stop him.

"Uh oh," Crump said. "Sir Grodus, that guy has wings! He'll definitely find Peach and Vivian first!"  
"I doubt that," Grodus said. "He may have wings, but we have something he hasn't..."  
"Umm... a helicopter?" Bowser asked.  
"No, you twit! BRAINS!"  
"Eww... brains are slimy." Crump moaned.  
"Shut UP Crump!" Grodus shouted. "Besides, we won't be using the helicopter."  
"What? Why NOT??" Bowser moaned.  
"We must lay low if we're to kidnap Peach and kill Vivian without anyone finding out before we leave. The helicopter will serve as our escape only."  
"You talk like you know where they are," Crump said.  
"That's what I mean when I say I have brains. You see, I suspect they are staying in that resort right over there," Grodus said, motioning towards the Heaven's Bell. "If they're not there right now, we rent ourselves a room and wait for them to return. Parakarry wouldn't have thought of that. See? Look, the first thing he does is fly right out of town and start looking over those plains. What a fool..."  
"Hmm... pretty clever," Bowser admitted. "Well then, in that case, lets go get a room!"

* * *

Mario and co stood at the foot of Magmalt Mountain. Mario held up the Red Hands of Friendship and admired its beauty.  
"My, what a gorgeous work of art!" Flurrie gasped. "It certainly looks as though it was made by the hands of the Gods themselves..."  
"Yes, I know!" Ms Mowz giggled. "And what kind of stone is it made of? It's red, yet its also looks so smooth and milky. It's so lovely!"  
"Yeah it is," Mario said. "I would expect it to look nice, seeing as it contains the power of the Gods, know what I'm saying?"  
Peach suddenly gasped. "Everybody, look!"

Peach was holding the Map in her hands, but it no sooner began to levitate. It rose slowly until it hovered inches over everyone's heads.  
Something in Mario's pocket began to respond. To everyone's surprise, the smoky, purple Crystal Ball lifted up out of his pocket, then proceeded to join the Map in an odd dance over all their heads.  
"Just like what happened last night..." Mario whispered.  
Vivian, Flurrie, and Ms Mowz, who'd been absent that night, were all completely mesmerized by what was happening.

A purple wisp then shot from the Crystal Ball, flew through the air, and left an imprint on the Map.  
However, it didn't stop there. The Map then turned around, and a thick purplish-black smoke emanated from the Crystal Ball. It began to shape itself into what looked like letters, which promptly printed themselves on the back of the Map.  
After that, the Crystal Ball carefully floated back down into Mario's hands and the Map made its way back down to Peach. Upon grabbing the Map, she excitedly looked at it to see what the Crystal Ball had printed on it this time.  
"Hey, umm... you think that maybe since we found a Rainbow Relic, the Crystal Ball is pointing us toward the next one?" Koops asked.  
"Kinda like the Crystal Stars..." Mario thought.

Peach studied the Map carefully on both sides. "Oh my gosh... Mario, the symbol that pointed to the Rainbow Relic we just got is now bright red... and there's a new black symbol right here!"  
She laid the Map down on the grass for everyone to see. Indeed, the clasping hands symbol was now red, and there was a new black symbol that looked like it was in a forest next to Noah's Wharf.  
"Awesome!" Mario said. "And the day's still young. I'm sure we can get another Rainbow Relic today, what do you think, guys?"  
"Yeah!"  
"Why not?"  
"Let's go for it!"  
Mario looked at the Map curiously. "So... what was it that was printed on the back, then?"  
Peach looked at the back, then made an astonished face, as though she noticed something that wasn't there before. "Oh wow! Mario, there's another verse to the poem...!"

Before anymore could be said, everyone suddenly noticed a large blue bird swoop down from overhead and land on a nearby stump. It was massive, with a wingspan of at least 6 feet. It was also strangely beautiful and had a god-like aura.  
"R-Reinus?" Vivian asked.

"Indeed, Vivian. It's me, Reinus! I like to take this bird form when I come down to Earth, so... yeah. Anyway, just came to check up on you. How's the search goin'?"  
"Oh, pretty good..." Mario said coolly, showing the Relic in plain view.  
Reinus stared at it in wonder. "My goodness, you've already found the Red Hands of Friendship? Oh my... it's been so long since I've seen it. I almost forgot how beautiful it was! These Relics aren't called the Gods' Arts for nothing!"

Reinus then thought of something. "Say... Seeing as you all have found a Rainbow Relic already, does that mean you found out that crystal ball's secret?"  
Mario took out the Crystal Ball, which of course now filled with shifting purple smoke. "Yeah," he said. "It just turned all freaky and purple all of a sudden last night..."  
Peach then took out the Map and showed it to Reinus. "Yeah, and its been printing symbols on this map that point us towards the location of the Rainbow Relics..."  
Reinus studied the Map for a while as Peach held it up. "Where on earth did you find this map...?" he asked curiously.  
"Umm... in my castle storeroom..." Peach answered. "That's in the Mushroom Kingdom."

Reinus's eyes shot open. "The Mushroom Kingdom?? All the way over there??"  
"I know it's odd, but it's true..." she answered.  
"Why, that crystal ball's been sitting in my tower for 1,000 years, and that map has been sitting in your storeroom for, umm, goodness knows how long! ...How could these two objects, which clearly act together, end up in such distant locations?"  
They all looked at each other, confused. Something odd was indeed going on here.

"Well, doesn't matter..." Reinus said. "It seems the crystal ball has marked another Rainbow Relic for you to hunt for. I suggest you get started on that, eh?"  
"Yeah, right away Reinus!" Mario pledged.  
"Right then. You ladies and gentlemen keep up the excellent work! Good-bye!" And with that, Reinus flapped his large blue wings and flew at light speed back up to the Palace of the Gods...

Mario wondered what the new verse of The Poem could be. As he did, he tried to recall the two verses that had initially appeared when they were on the Elation...

_Protector of the Sky...  
Grounded by the eye..._

He couldn't remember the rest... though, he was sure if he could read it over, he'd have a better understanding of what it meant than when he first read it.  
"Hey guys," he announced, "We've still got plenty of time left in the day to look for the next Relic. I say we stop at the Heaven's Bell real quick to take a look at the map. Maybe look over that poem, and see exactly where it is that the next Relic is..."  
Everyone agreed that was a good idea. Their backs turned to Magmalt Mountain, they began to head back across the Plains of Eden back towards the Heaven's Bell...


	5. Chapter 4

****

CHAPTER 4

**- _Along Came a Spider_ -**

"Hey, these beds are really comfy!" Crump exclaimed, hopping up and down on one of the beds.  
"Um, Grodus?" Bowser wondered, 'Was it really smart to check into an 4-bed hotel room when there's only 3 of us?"

Grodus moaned. "Fool, I already told you! The entire rest of the resort is completely booked! An 4-bed room is all we can manage! Goodness, this place is expensive... I mean, I've been going on and on lately about how we need to conserve our funds for a replacement for TEC, and here I am spending the last of the X-nauts' bank account on this fancy resort..."  
"Yeah, kinda dumb..." Crump said.  
"Silence!" Grodus demanded. "Besides, we hopefully won't even have to spend one night in here... I'm quite sure Mario and his party are staying here, so all we have to do is keep our eyes peeled for them and wait."  
"How long until we start looking for them," Bowser asked, "Just in case Parakarry finds them before we do?"  
"Quit trying to sound smart!" Grodus yelled. "We'll wait and look around town for 3 days. If we haven't found them yet, then we can assume Parakarry has warned them of our presence, and then we go out in search of them."  
"OK..." Bowser said. "Well, let's hope we find them soon. I really wanna kidnap Peach!"  
"Geez, how many times have you tried?" Crump asked with a laugh.  
"Uh, err... That's none of your BUSINESS!!"

* * *

Upon returning to their hotel room, Peach set the Map down on the desk, and everyone crowded around to see.  
The red hands symbol was now a thing of the past, as Mario had carefully packed the Red Hands of Friendship into his suitcase. Everyone's focus was now the new black symbol. Upon close inspection, it looked somewhat like a pair of ears.  
"Ears?" Goombella wondered. "What a totally random body part to make a statue out of..."  
"They probably symbolize something important, just like the hands," Vivian suggested.  
"Like what?" Verdugo asked. "The Ears of Listening or something?"  
"I'm sure Mario could make good use of that one!" Peach joked. Mario grimaced, but chuckled a bit, too.  
The ears symbol looked to be in a forest right next to Noah's Wharf, the very town they were in. The forest itself didn't have a name labeled. However, the small area that the symbol was in had a rather cryptic name - Spider Kingdom.

Goombella shuddered at that. "Ughhh... I totally HATE spiders..."  
"Might just be a name, lass," Bobbery reassured.  
"Might NOT be!" she cried.  
"Whatever, we know where the next Relic is. Let's just see about the poem!" Peach said. She flipped the Map over, and printed on the back was The Poem, now three verses long. She carefully read the entire thing aloud to everyone...

_**Protector of the Sky,  
Grounded by the eye**_

_**Of the ever-growing beast  
Which the light is its feast...**_**  
**

**_Born from dark hearts,  
We seize the Gods' Arts,  
We live to see die  
The Protector of the Sky..._**

**_Crooks, rogues and thieves  
Plague a town by the sea,  
This dark and shadowed war,  
A baby girl, it bore..._**

Everyone listened to Peach's voice as she read The Poem. It's tone was so dark. It seemed to fill the room with a silent dread... that fear born from the feeling of not being able to understand...  
Strangely though, its words seemed to make a slight bit of sense to them all...

"Hey guys," Mario finally said. "Do you think the 'Protector of the Sky' could be... The Rainbow?"  
"It certainly makes sense," Bobbery said. "And... didn't Reinus say the Rainbow Relics were called the _Gods' Arts_? If so, I'm quite sure the first two verses speak of the day when the Rainbow Relics were lost and the Rainbow disappeared."  
"But I wonder then, what's the 'ever-growing beast' that supposedly 'grounded' The Rainbow?" Flurrie asked. "I dare say, I believe the ones who removed the Rainbow Relics did more than just remove them. Why, I bet they were stolen and used for evil purposes!"  
"Sure sounda like the ones who took them away were evil," Verdugo though. "I mean, come on! _'Born from dark hearts?' _That just screams evil!"  
"But what about the 3rd verse?" Ms Mowz wondered. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was describing Rogueport..."

The description did fit Rogueport alright. Everyone agreed with that. Additionally, the ensuing war between the thieves and the syndicate over there could've very well been the 'dark and shadowed war' that was being described.  
"So then, according to the wording," Koops reasoned, "This war somehow gave birth to a baby girl..."  
"Well THAT makes no sense," Vivian said.  
Mario had been thinking hard. "Wait, wait, wait!" he blurted. "It says this evil entity that grounded The Rainbow was 'born from dark hearts', right? Maybe, the war in Rogueport featured lots of dark hearts or something, and... somehow this 'baby girl' is the evil being or... something..."  
"I see where you're getting at," Peach said. "But I think if we find more Relics, the crystal ball will add more to the poem for us to read..."

Mario carefully removed the Crystal Ball from his pocket and held it out. Everyone stared at it, in both wonder and fear.

"What is this thing's connection to all of this?" Mario whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear.  
No one knew, but they all were secretly frightened as well...

"Well," Peach said, picking up the Map. "I think we should get going to the Spider Kingdom now, don't you?"  
Everyone readily agreed.  
Except Goombella.  
For some reason, she was getting that horrible feeling again. That feeling she got when, err... something terrible was going to her happen in the near future... and it didn't involve spiders...

"Guys, I don't think I'm gonna go," she quickly said.They all looked at her, confused. "What? Why not?" Mario asked.  
"I... I just really hate spiders!" she cried, knowing that wasn't the whole reason.  
"It's OK, we'll protect you!" he reassured.  
"No, really. Go on without me."

Vivian stood by Goombella. "You know what? I can stay with her. It's OK, I know how she feels." In actuality, Vivian really just wanted to stay so she could maybe see Atlan while everyone else was away.  
Goombella and Vivian stood against Mario and the party, willing to stay behind if they would be allowed.

Mario looked sympathetically at the girls. Goombella was quivering little girl that was being forced to go on a big rollercoaster. Vivian just stood there with her hands cupped together, and looked as though she really wanted to stay. Mario finally gave in. "Alright, you two can stay here," he said.  
Goombella jumped. "Really?? Oh, thank you Mario!"  
"Thanks Mario..." Vivian said shyly.  
"Sure thing girls," he said. "We'll just have to be extra careful in the Spider Kingdom, I guess."  
He turned to face everyone else, who looked ready to go. "Let's go," he said. They all nodded and followed him out the room. Goombella and Vivian were left standing alone.

"Thanks for staying with me," Goombella said quietly, turning to Vivian.  
Vivian smiled. "No problem. Though, to be honest, I kind of like spiders."  
Goombella grimaced. "You do?? Eww! How could ANYONE like spiders?!"  
"I dunno," Vivian shrugged. "They're just so cool and alien-looking... and the way they creep and crawl and bite and suck the guts out of their prey..." Vivian's voice trailed off.  
Goombella stared at her strangely. "Umm... Vivian? You OK?"  
"Huh? Oh, yeah," she said, snapping out of it. "Um, hey listen, think while I'm here, I should check to see what Atlan's doing?"  
Goombella giggled. "Oh, yeah! Go for it! What room is he in again?"  
"Room 12, the one right next to us. He told me he did that intentionally just so we could be close," Vivian said with a smile.  
Goombella laughed again. "Oooooh, that is so sweet! He sounds like a GREAT guy!"  
"He is," Vivian said.  
"Go! Go see him! I'll be OK!" Goombella ordered, pushing Vivian towards the door.  
Vivian didn't bother to argue. She opened the door out into the hallway and floated over to the door to Room 12. She took a heavy sigh and knocked...

* * *

"Umm... I don't get this," Koops said, utterly confused.  
The seven travelers had followed the Map into the forest, and it didn't take long at all to find the site that was supposedly dubbed Spider Kingdom. However, all there appeared to be was an old, dead tree stump.  
"Well, I must admit, I'm quite baffled," Flurrie complained. She was examining the stump in the middle of the dusty clearing very closely. Every now and then, she would see a rather large spider crawl from one of the stump's many holes and into another.  
"If I had to guess, I'd say this was the Spider Kingdom," Ms Mowz said, "What do we do then? Break the stump open? Is the Rainbow Relic concealed inside or what?"  
"Maybe. It seems like the only logical explanation," Peach thought.  
"I'd guess it's a wee bit more complicated than that, ladies," Bobbery said.  
"Hey guys! Check this out!" Verdugo cried.

Mario, Koops and Bobbery all ran over to see what the fuss was about. "What is it, Verdugo?" Mario asked.  
Verdugo stood before what looked like a fragment of a thin stone wall. It was standing perfectly upright. The side facing the stump appeared to be blank, but Verdugo was talking about something on the opposite side. "See, look!" Verdugo exclaimed. "There's a door here!"  
Mario, Koops, and Bobbery all ran around to see. Indeed, there was a wooden door built into the wall fragment.  
"Umm... wouldn't opening it just open up to the other side?" Koops asked.  
"But... the other side's blank," Mario said. "And seeing as there aren't any hinges on this side of the door, it must open inward. But it can't, cuz, ya know... the other side's blank."  
"Are you even sure the door is capable of being opened?" Bobbery inquired.

With a shrug, Mario carefully turned the knob and jerked it. The door opened inward a little bit, and he stuck his head through to see what was on the other side. "What the-??" he cried, promptly slamming the door shut.  
"What was it?" Verdugo asked. "What'd you see??"  
"G-go look at the other side of the wall," Mario stammered.

Verdugo, Koops, and Bobbery all shrugged and ran around to the other side. It still looked blank to them. Nevertheless, they studied it carefully while they listened for Mario as he opened the door again.  
"WWWAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!!" Mario shrieked. "Mama mia!! When the hell did you three get so huge??"  
The three of them all looked at each other, puzzled. They ran around to see Mario shaking and still holding the door open.

"What on earth happened here?" Bobbery asked.  
"You three were... frickin' huge!" Mario stammered.  
"Did I really grow that fast already?" Verdugo asked, smiling to himself.  
"No..." Mario said. "Go back around and look at the very bottom of the wall. I think I kind of understand what's going on here..."

The three obeyed and ran back around. They all bent down and began to study the base of the seemingly featureless wall. Almost immediately, Koops noticed something. "Hey guys, look at this! Behind this little clump of grass!"  
He brushed the grass aside, and there appeared to be a nearly microscopic wooden door down there, identical to the normal-sized one on the other side.  
They then heard Mario call out. "Did you find anything weird?"  
"Indeed!" Bobbery called. "There appears to be a tiny door here, about the size of a pea! Perhaps smaller!"  
"OK!" Mario said, "Watch that little door very carefully! I'm walking through this door right now..."  
The three watched as the itsy-bitsy door suddenly opened slowly towards them, and out walked a small red and blue speck. It took a few careful steps and looked up at the three of them.  
Verdugo gasped. "Mario??"

The force of Verdugo's breath nearly knocked the speck over. Indeed, the tiny specimen was Mario. Evidently, the door he had walked through on that side was a shrinking portal of some sort! He was now about the size of a ant!

It looked like Mario was trying to call up to them, but they couldn't hear him because he was so tiny.  
"Hang on there, old boy! We're coming too!" Bobbery announced.  
"Yeah!" Verdugo said excitedly. "Being tiny must be awesome!"  
Koops watched Bobbery and Verdugo run around to the other side of the wall, then saw them come through the mini door as itty-bitty gray and green specks, right alongside Mario.

The girls had been watching from the stump at the scene surrounding the odd wall. "What on earth are you men doing over there with that blasted piece of cement?" Flurrie asked.  
"Just c'mon! We'll show you!" Koops called out. He ran around to the other side of the wall, expecting them to follow.  
"Guess we should see what they're up to," Ms Mowz moaned. The three girls abondoned the spider-infested stump and walked around to the other side of the wall, where Koops was holding a door open for them. They hesitantly stepped through...  
"Oh my goodness gracious!" Peach gasped.

They found themselves in the very clearing they had been standing in seconds before, but everything was magnified in size by several hundred times! The few blades of grass around them now towered above like skyscrapers. The tiny rocks that were strewn across the dirt were now like deadly boulders.  
And what seemed like a mile ahead of them stood the Spider Kingdom.  
The old rotting stump now looked like a huge, ancient mountain with jagged peaks and several caverns. It certainly looked like a spider kingdom to them now!  
Peach spotted Mario nearby, staring at the kingdom in awe. "Uhh... Mario?" she asked, walking to his side. "We're not... going in there, are we?"  
"The map was right last time. I'm sure it is this time, too." Mario joked.  
"But Mario, can you imagine how big those spiders must be??"

Everyone realized what she was saying was true. The spiders already looked to be as big as half-dollars when they were crawling around the stump. With the party the size that it was, they were bound to be, uhh... a helluva lot bigger!  
"We have no choice," Mario said. "We have to go in there."  
"No we don't!" Peach cried. "Why can't we just break the stupid stump open and dig the Rainbow Relic out?!"  
"Well, my guess is that someone brought the Rainbow Relic through the shrinking portal and hid it in there. If we break it open while in normal size, we probably wouldn't be able to find it since it would be so small. All we'd succeed in doing is pissing off an army of hundreds of poisonous spiders that would probably swarm us and kill us right there."  
"Oh, they're _poisonous_ now??" Peach shouted.  
Mario just let out a sigh.

"Look, giant icy volcanoes is one thing, but THIS?! This is just insane! I say we take a vote. All in favor of simply going back through that door, smashing the stump open, and extracting the Rainbow Relic that way, raise your hands now...!"

_(Some time later...)_

"Ugh... You NEVER listen to me!" Peach grumbled.  
"Well hey!" Verdugo whined. "It was like, six to one! You lost! Get over it!"

Peach shuddered as they approached the towering behemoth before them that was Spider Kingdom. It had taken them nearly a half-hour to walk across the small clearing, but now they were mere feet from the Kingdom's former 'entrance'. There was a gaping hole at the base of the stump that opened up before them like a huge mouth, ready to swallow them whole.

As the group approached the entrance, it was noticed that about seven or eight large, hairy spiders had taken a post directly above. For Heaven's sake, they were humongous! The normally half-dollar sized arachnids were now probably about the size of a basketball court in relation to them, and about as tall as a two-story house! They clung to the rotted bark and surrounded the doorway, staring down at the travelers, almost as though welcoming them. And it didn't seem like a friendly welcome.

"Everybody stay close..." Mario whispered. He couldn't take his gaze off the beady black eyes of the spiders that stared him down. No one could. They immediately obeyed and stuck close together as a group. Slowly and carefully, they entered the dark, musty, web-littered interior of the giant, old stump that was Spider Kingdom...

* * *

"So Viv, how's the search for them Rainbow Relics going?"

Atlan had allowed Vivian into his room, and they were sitting on the bed next to the window, enjoying the sinking sunset over the ocean. It was truly a romantic sight.  
"Oh, it's going great so far!" Vivian said. "We've already found one, and Mario and the others are out getting the second one!"  
"Oh really? Why didn't you go along?" Atlan wondered.

"Well..." Vivian said quietly, twiddling her thumbs, "My friend Goombella didn't wanna go because she was scared, so I decided to stay with her. Of course, that's only part of the reason... I mainly stayed because I wanted to see you..."  
Atlan smiled.

_"Yes! I got my first kiss last night, and now I think she's fallin' in love with me! Oh man... if she could just say those words, I'd be the happiest Duplighost in the world! Oh... but I don't wanna force her to say anything. Things are already moving at a nice pace already. Just keep doin' what I'm doin'... Keep it up and she'll be saying that to me in bed! Oh, but I wonder... maybe I'm the one that oughtta say the words first, eh? Yeah, it's pretty much customary for the man to tell the lady his feelings first. Besides, when I do say them, she'll pretty much have no choice but to say them back! Yes! That's it - I'm gonna tell her I love her! I'm just gonna say 'I love you, Vivian', and then she's gonna say 'I love you too, Doopliss!' And then, we'll be happy forever! Oh, it's too perfect! OK, here I go... C'mon Doopliss, it's just three little words. You can do this..."  
_  
"Umm... Vivian?" Atlan asked, gently taking her hand.  
Vivian looked down at his hand, then into his eyes. "Um, yes Atlan?"  
"I... I have something I need to tell you."  
Vivian looked at him curiously. "What is it?"  
Atlan choked a bit. "I..."

_C'mon! That's the first word down! Good so far! Just two more!  
_

"I... you..."

_"Uhh... OK, 2 outta 3 ain't bad! But the middle word's the most important! C'mon, SAY IT!  
_

"I..."

"You and me what?" Vivian asked, waiting patiently for him to get the words out.

After a bit more struggle, Atlan finally sighed. "I wanna take you out again tonight. Wanna go to the bar?"

Vivian looked a bit disappointed, but still happy to hear that offer. "Oh... I would Atlan, but the girls and I already planned to have a sort of 'Girls Night' at the spa tonight."  
"Ah, OK. That's cool," Atlan sighed.  
"Well, umm... I should be getting back to Goombella. See you tomorrow?"  
"Yeah... tomorrow..." Atlan said silently.  
"OK. Good-bye..."  
Doopliss didn't look at her as she left. He just heard her glide over to the door, then heard it open and shut.

"_Ya blew it, Doopliss. Ya blew it..."_

Mario and the gang were struggling to free themselves from a wall of sticky webbing. They had been in the Spider Kingdom for about five minutes before they had been ambushed by a group of large spiders. They had all been knocked out from the attack, but now that they were all awake, they were in a huge chamber - possibly the hollowed out center of the stump. They all squirmed and shifted, trying to shake the webbing loose, but to no avail.  
"Everyone still OK?" Mario asked.  
"Not exactly..." Peach complained.  
"I don't see any spiders around here..." Koops realized. "Wonder where they all are?"

Before anymore could be said, a huge shadow suddenly began to grow on the ground before them. They all looked up... and stared in horror at the single largest spider - or living creature for that matter - any of them had ever seen.  
This spider must've been about the size of a boxing glove in real terms, but to them, it must've been as huge as an entire football stadium. Even bigger, possibly. In the faint darkness, it was impossible to see the whole thing. It seemed to stare down at all seven of them at once with its eight Volkswagen-sized eyes. Observing them. Seeing which one of them looked the most tasty. They were all too scared to scream or even move.  
Suddenly, the spider opened its monstrous jaws, which looked wide enough to ensnare Peach's Castle itself. They all looked at each other as though to say good-bye...  
But to their surprise, the spider spoke!

_"Miniature beings!" _it boomed in a deep voice._ "It's been quite a long time since creatures such as yourselves have used the shrinking portal. Why, I believe the last time must've been nearly a thousand years ago!"  
_"Dear me! Y-you can speak?" Flurrie stuttered.  
_"Why yes, of course! All us insects speak the words of men! You just can't hear us because we're so small! Haha!"  
_"Oh..." Flurrie replied.  
_"I apologize for the the rough actions of my subjects. We of our species are extremely wary of outsiders. Therefore, as king of the spiders, I must inquire, what brings you all here?" _

"Umm... we're looking for a Rainbow Relic," Mario said, feeling confident he could trust this massive spider. "Do you know about it?"  
_"Rainbow Relic?" _The king spider asked. _"Do you perhaps mean this?"  
_The spider lowered his head, and revealed a huge leaf and twig crown... and right in the middle was a tiny orange stone in the shape of a pair of ears. The Rainbow Relic!  
"Yes, that's it!" Mario exclaimed.  
_"Well..." _the king spider said, _"I suppose I can let you have it. It's been on my crown for a very long time, but it doesn't stand out much since it's so tiny and stuff. However, seeing as I've had it for so long, I can't just give it up without something in return..."_  
"Sure. Whatever it takes!" Mario said.  
The king spider uttered a growl._ "It's been a while since I've had some fresh paper. It's quite delicious, you know! Tell you what - I'll let you out with the Rainbow Relic, but only if you offer one of your party as a sacrifice!"  
_

Mario and his friends gasped. They couldn't do that, could they??

_"I understand this must be a difficult decision for you all, so I'll give you some time," _the king spider added.  
"Thanks..." Mario said sarcastically.

"Oh... what are we gonna do??" Peach cried. "We can't let him eat one of us!"

"I'll do it!" Bobbery announced.

Everyone looked at him, shocked. "Really??"  
"Yes," Bobbery said, with pride in his voice, "I've lived a good, long and happy life. And now, I can willingly bring it to end for the good of the world. Plus, it's what Scarlette would have wanted me to do. My sweet, sweet Scarlette... We shall be together again soon..."  
Bobbery was trying to talk all farewell-ish for the spider, but in reality, it was noticed he gave a quick wink at Mario, indicating he was planning something.

_"Such boldness," _the king spider said. _"I appreciate that! Right then, allow me to help you other six out of that frustrating web!"  
_The spider used his devilish jaws like scissors to carefully snip off chunks of webbing until they were all safely off the wall, except for Bobbery.  
_"Alright then," _the king spider said happily. _"My first paper in ages..."  
_"Yo! What about the Rainbow Relic??" Verdugo asked.  
_"I'll give it freely once I finish my meal," _was the harsh reply._ "Now if you'll excuse me..."  
_He turned towards Bobbery and opened his massive jaws once again. Bobbery closed his eyes and prepared for some major discomfort...

_SLURP!_

The king spider inhaled Bobbery whole, and let out a delighted sigh. _"Mmm... Delectable! I'd forgotten how delicious paper really wa-!"  
_

**KABOOOM!!**

A huge fiery blast burst forth from within the king spider's mouth! Bobbery had blown up while he was being eaten! Genius!  
The king spider coughed and sputtered, causing Bobbery to slip from his mouth and fall the long distance to the floor. Smoke leaked from the his jaws as it growled in pain and anger.

Bobbery recovered from the fall quickly and ran up to the rest of the gang. "Ha! Bet he wasn't expecting THAT, hm?"  
"I'd think not," Flurrie said seriously, "But I'm afraid I don't think we're going to get out of here with the Rainbow Relic now!"  
The king spider turned its enormous body towards them. _"You INGRATES! Don't even think you're getting out of here ALIVE!!"  
_The spider made a quick snap with his jaws in their direction, but they all managed to run out of the way. For being so huge, that thing was pretty damn fast!  
Koops then noticed Ms Mowz was missing. "Hey, where's Ms Mowz??"  
They frantically scanned the chamber with their eyes, under the king spider's legs... all over. She was nowhere to be found! Where had she gone??

"Up here, darlings!"  
Everyone - even the king spider - looked towards the source of the voice. There was Ms Mowz... on top of the king spider's head! With the Rainbow Relic in her hands! She giggled a bit at her fine work. "Well, you must excuse me for being so rude," she teased, "But I think we'd better be going!"

Ms Mowz then did a graceful leap of the top of the spider's head and landed right in front of Mario and co. She threw the Rainbow Relic in Mario's direction and began to dart for an opening. "RUN!!" she yelled.  
The king spider was more enraged than ever now. He slammed his freight train-sized legs around in attempt to smash one of the helpless little critters beneath them. By some miracle, they were all able to run through the opening very much unhurt.

"Are we safe?" Mario wondered as he continued to run.  
"I think so..." Peach said, breathing heavily.  
"I hope so!" Verdugo finished.

Suddenly, the monstrous king's voice boomed and echoed through the caverns of the kingdom. _**"Seize them! Seize them! The intruders are escaping through corridor H on the west wing! SEIZE THEM!!"  
**_Not a second later, the sound of hundreds of skittering legs began to echo through the corridor, growing louder by the second.  
"Oh no..." Peach said, nearly crying. "The spiders are coming after us!"  
"You, my girl, have a real knack for stating the obvious!" Bobbery joked, stumbling a bit over a piece of old bark as he ran.  
Mario looked back and saw the dark silhouettes of an innumerable number of spiders zooming through the cave towards them. They took up the entire tunnel, moving like a hairy black flood. A hairy black flood that wanted to eat them alive. "Oh shit!" he exclaimed. It was all he could say. All he could do was try and run faster.

Koops then gritted his teeth. He appeared to be tired of running. He jumped, sank into his shell in mid-air, and shot like a bullet along the ground through the tunnel ahead. Within seconds, he was gone.  
"Koops!" Ms Mowz cried. "Is he just leaving us?!"  
"No!" Mario said, running out of breath. "He wouldn't do that! He just wouldn't!"  
However, all hopes of anything positive happening were all but lost now.  
Now running on pure adrenaline, the group was still unable to pull ahead even the slightest bit. The army of raging spiders would overtake them soon...

At the moment, three spiders then emerged from holes in the ceiling further up ahead. They constructed a web within a matter of seconds, blocking the path out.  
Mario and is friends were trapped.  
As the army of angry arachnids drew closer, they could do nothing but stand and wait for the end. At least Koops had made it out OK...

_CRRRRAAAACCCCCKKKK!!__  
_  
To everyone's surprise, the entire roof of the cavern suddenly broke loose and rose up, spilling large splinters of dead wood everywhere and revealing the sunlight. All the spiders stopped in their tracks and looked up to see what on earth was happening, as did Mario and party.  
"KOOPS!!"

Koops towered above them all and held a huge chunk of the Spider Kingdom in his giant hands. He hurled it aside, then bent down in anticipation. Seeing the party, he held out his huge finger.  
"HOP ON!!" he ordered.

Mario and party took notice and ran to his finger, struggling to jump on. The spiders took notice as well. Many chased after the party as they tried to climb onto Koops' finger, while others dashed straight for Koops' feet in attempt to slow him down. The ones that chased after Mario and party nearly caught up, but Koops promptly lifted his finger up the second all of his friends were aboard. Koops then proceeded to dash for the shrinking portal.

Unfortunately, many spiders had already reached his feet and crawled up, giving him sharp and venomous bites beneath his shell. He didn't care, though. Once he reached the portal, he bent down and let his friends off right next to the tiny door. They immediately dismounted, opened it up, and ran through. One by one, they came out the other side - regular large size, and all out of breath.

Mario looked back through the door and saw the army of massive spiders rushing at them. However, they were_ too _massive; these half-dollar sized beasts would have no chance of getting through that pea-sized door! He laughed as he closed the portal shut. He then looked around at the other side of the wall - there stood a plentiful, but halted, army of completely normal little spiders. After a while of standing still, they all finally retreated back to their damaged stump.  
Mario gave a relieved sigh, then took out their new Rainbow Relic. He held it up proudly...

_**You got the Orange Rainbow Relic! Also known as the Ears of Trust!  
**_

Mario stashed the Relic away and looked at a clearly exhausted Koops. "Thanks, man..." he said.  
Koops gasped and wheezed a bit, but smiled. "No problem..."  
Everyone else gave their thanks as well.  
"Well, we have the Ears of Trust," Peach said. "Should we be going now?"

Everyone took a last look at the busted Spider Kingdom, then gasped as a humongous spider leg broke from within the hollowed center of the stump - a leg that looked like it could've belonged to a spider the size of a fuggin' boxing glove!  
"Yeah, let's go!" Mario said quickly. And with that, they hurried out of the woods, with the second Rainbow Relic in hand...

* * *

Crump walked back into Room 14 of the Heaven's Bell, exhausted. Grodus was waiting patiently on the bed for his return. "Well, did you find them?" he asked.  
"No..." Crump grumbled. "I've spent all day looking around town, but no sign of 'em!"  
"Ugh... Well, what about Bowser? Is he asking the receptionist if any guests are checked into the resort under the name of 'Mario' like I told him to?"  
"Yes sir, he's over there right now."  
"Good. Let's hope he can at least do THAT. So far, you two haven't been very productive in your search for Princess Peach. Hell, if I had legs, I could've done it all myself..."  
"Please sir, give us some time. We'll find them eventually."  
"You'd better. I wouldn't want Parakarry to find them first."  
"Yes sir. We will double our efforts tomorrow."  
"Good. Now go check on Bowser, will you? This task may be difficult for him, and I don't want him hurting himself..."

"Listen, I'm sorry Mr... umm..."  
"_Bowser_, lady! Get it right!"  
"Mr. _Bowser_, I've already explained that we cannot allow guests to check the records of other guests without showing ID!"  
"WHAT?! Since when is that a rule??"  
"Since forever, Mr Bowser."  
"URRRGH! It's not 'MR' Bowser, it's just _Bowser_! Bowser's my first name, not my last name!"  
"Well then what IS your last name?"  
"What's my last name? I'll tell ya my last name! My full name is Bowser Iamgonnakillyouifyoudonttellmewhatineedtoknow!"  
"Sounds foreign, sir. Can you please spell it for me?"  
"HUH?? What are you talking about?!"  
"I'm checking to see if you're a registered guest, sir. Quite frankly, I don't believe you are."  
"But I AM!"  
"Then show me your ID and I'll tell you about the guest you wish to know about."  
"But I don't HAVE an ID!"  
"Well then there's nothing I can do."  
"Lady, I am Bowser! BOWSER! The King of Evil!"  
The lady Toad just gave him a blank stare.  
"You haven't heard of me? Bowser? The Evil King? The Shadow Thief? Businessman of LEGEND!?"  
"No, can't say I have, sir."  
"Goddammit! FEAR MY ACCOUNTING!!"

At that moment, Crump came running in. "Hey Bowser, how's the mission going?"  
Bowser snarled. "That's nothing YOU have to concern yourself with, Crump..."  
The lady Toad then looked up. "Did you just say 'Crump'?"  
"Huh? Yeah," Bowser said. "This purple loser over here is Crump."  
"Hi," said Crump, waving stupidly.  
The Toad scooted over to her computer. "I think I remember seeing that name in the records recently..." She typed in some stuff and peered at the monitor closely, then turned towards the two. "Ah, yes! I have a Sir Grodus and a Lord Crump in Room 14, is that correct?"  
"Yup, that's us!" Crump announced.  
"HEY! What about ME??" Bowser growled.  
"I assume Mr. Bowser is you guest then, Mr. Crump?" the Toad asked.  
"Yup, just the guest," Crump said, snickering. Bowser looked about ready to tear him apart.  
"Very well then, Mr. Crump," the Toad lady said, "I can give you any information you'd like. Who did you wish to locate? 'Princess Peach'?"

"Yeah! FIND HER!" Bowser growled.  
"OK..." the Toad said, checking her computer.

After a couple minutes, she shook her head. "Errm... no, I see no records of a 'Princess Peach'. Very sorry. Ah, but you know, I can run a search for people that may be in the same group as her, just in case they-"  
"DAMN!" Bowser interrupted. "I knew Peach wasn't here! We're wasting our time here, Crump! Let's go back to the room and hit the sack. I'm fuggin' tired..."  
"Wait, but Bowser...!" Crump yelled, running after him. "Grodus told us to check under the name _'Mario'_, not Peach! Bowser, wait up!..."

After a few seconds, they were gone.  
The lady Toad rolled her eyes. "Goodness," she told herself. "We just allow ANY old idiots to stay at our resort, don't we?"

"Oh wow! That's like, totally CRAZY!" Goombella exclaimed, admiring the orange, ear-shaped Rainbow Relic in Mario's hands.  
"Were the spiders really that big?" Vivian gasped.  
"Yeah! They were HUGE!" Verdugo jumped. "But we beat 'em, right Mario?"  
"Yeah, I guess," Mario said. "But I still think Koops was the man of the hour."  
Koops laughed a little bit, but he appeared to be struggling to even stand upright. He looked very pale and sick. No one was entirely sure what was wrong, but he insisted he was OK, so no one asked any questions.

"I have to wonder, though..." Bobbery said, "Why didn't you two wish to come along? Do you really detest spiders that much, Miss Goombella?"  
Goombella stared at him for a second, as though ready to answer, but she merely sighed and looked down. "Umm... I have a confession to make..."  
Everyone listened intently. "What is it?" Mario asked.  
"Well..." she said softly, "When we were about to leave, I got this vision in my head... a vision of a huge set of spider jaws clasping right behind me... and then lifting me off the ground... by the seat of my pants. I could feel the pain... really, I could. I could hear my own screaming too... it scared me too much. I couldn't go..."  
They all looked at her sympathetically, especially Verdugo and Koops. Just a day ago, they would've laughed at her for saying that, but now, they were convinced that this Atomic Wedgie business was no mere coincidence. This Uber God really wanted them to succumb to that horrible fate... Could Goombella have really avoided it? Had her ghastly premonition really helped her dodge the sick designs of Uber, the Atomic Wedgie God...?

"Well..." Peach said silently. "If you avoided your Atomic Wedgie, I guess that means I'm next..."  
"I'll make sure it doesn't happen to you, Peach," Goombella said. "I wish I didn't have this gift of sight... but since I do, I have no choice but to make use of it."

Everyone was silent for a little while...  
Until Koops suddenly groaned and collapsed on the floor.

* * *

Doopliss was chillin' in his room when he heard a knock at his door. Thinking it was Vivian, he promptly became Atlan and answered the door. Indeed, Vivian was there, but so was everyone else. And it seemed a very sick-looking Koops was the center of attention.  
As everyone else carried Koops into the room, Vivian went up to Atlan and went straight to the point. "Atlan, Koops is sick! Please, help him!"  
Atlan looked at her in a funny way. "Huh? What's makes you think I can help him?"  
"You're a doctor in training, right? You'd have a better idea of what to do than any of us!"

Inside, Doopliss cursed to himself. He'd forgotten all about that stupid charade he'd played on the Elation. He knew now, though, that he couldn't deny it anymore. "OK, I'll see what I can do."

Everyone had helped get Koops onto one of the beds in the room. Flurrie and Ms Mowz stood beside him, trying to get some sign of life out of him. His eyes were fluttering, barely able to stay open, and he was groaning like some burning toxin was flowing through his veins.  
"Oh, the poor dear. I do hope he's OK..." Flurrie said.  
"I know we planned a Girl's Night out tonight, girls," Ms Mowz said, "But we surely can't while Koops is so sick!"

Doopliss thought that was a perfect excuse to get at least half the people out of the room. He couldn't pretend to operate on Koops when everyone was around, and he certainly didn't want Vivian in there, either.  
"It's OK," Atlan assured, "You girls can go do your thing tonight."  
"But what about Koops?" Goombella asked, worried.  
"He'll be OK. You girls go. It's frustrating when there're women crying all over the patient, anyway. I can't concentrate."  
"Maybe he's right..." Peach said. "I'm sure Atlan is a trustworthy doctor..."  
"Absolutely, now go," Atlan ordered. "Please!"

The women all walked out of the room, taking a last look at poor Koops as he lay on the bed like a corpse.  
All except Vivian, who floated up to Atlan. "Atlan..." she said softly.  
Atlan pretended to examine Koops' body. "Vivian, please. I can do this. Go with your friends."  
"I know. I trust you. It's just... please, Koops is our friend. Do your best, OK?"  
"No problem," he said.  
Vivian gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "For good luck," she said quietly. She then hurried out the room.

Atlan stood there for a second, lost in happy thoughts...  
"Yo Atlan! Get working! Koops is frickin' drooling over here!" Verdugo shouted.  
"Oh, right!" Atlan jumped.

_Ah crap... Ya blew it again, Doopliss!_

Mario, Verdugo and Bobbery all stood by Koops' side, urging Atlan to hurry his ass up and help Koops. Atlan did a few sweeps of Koops' body, acting like he knew what he was doing.

_C'mon Doopliss! You can't just give a fake diagnosis! If Koops is really sick, and he ends up dyin' or something, Vivian's NEVER gonna trust you! At the very least, just examine him close and maybe you can make at least a high-school degree analysis of what's wrong! It's worth a shot!  
_  
Atlan grabbed Koops' shell. "Help me get his shell and sweater off," he ordered the three guys. "The cause of his illness may be underneath."  
They all immediately grabbed Koops' shell and carefully slid it off of his body. Once it was off, they plopped it on the floor. Atlan then quickly removed Koops' sweater and threw it on the ground.  
It was noticed that two or three large spiders crawled from within his sweater when it hit the ground, then darted for the door and escaped from underneath.

"Mama mia..." Mario muttered, looking at Koops' body.  
Bobbery and Verdugo shuddered, as did Atlan himself. Koops' torso was red and blotchy with several bumps and small pierced holes, some of which leaked thin lines of blood. Atlan knew it - they were spider bites. And Koops had suffered at least two dozen of them.  
Even though Koops was barely conscious, he was still evidently aware of what was happening. He groaned painfully.  
Atlan felt Koops' head with his palm. It was burning up. "Koops is pale, shaking, sweating, barely conscious and has a very high fever," Atlan said. "The spider bites were poisonous, and he's suffered a horrific number of them. A fatal amount of venom must be in his blood right now..."  
Verdugo was shaking in fear. "Is he gonna be OK, doc? Is Koops gonna live?"  
"He'll need an anti-venom... Unfortunately, I haven't yet trained for this. I'd have no idea what to prescribe..." Atlan said sadly.  
Bobbery made a quivering sigh. "Well boys, when we have our drinks tonight, all we can do is give a toast to poor Koops and hope he gets better..."

Atlan's eyes then lit up.

"_Oh yes, that's IT! I remember now... I read in some old stupid book back at the Creepy Steeple that alcohol is a natural medicine. When taken in moderate amounts at friendly intervals, it can actually aid in the cure of many illnesses! Besides, I've always said alcohol is a cure for everything! Let's hope it works with spider venom too..."  
_  
"You guys drinking tonight?" Atlan asked.  
"We were planning on it," Mario said, "But..."  
"So then allow Koops to take in some alcohol. It will probably aid in helping him recover until we can get some trained doctors here. I'll call 911 right away, and hopefully, the Morteva paramedics will get here soon. However, until then, alcohol and plenty of sleep is the best thing for him."  
Bobbery and Mario looked at each other, somewhat skeptical. Eventually though, they turned back to Atlan and said, "Alright. You're the expert."  
"Hehe, yeah, I guess..." he said shyly.  
"You know old boy?" Bobbery said. "I'm glad we met you. And I'm glad Vivian seems to like you as well."  
Atlan just smiled. Inside, Doopliss was smiling even brighter.

"Say," Mario asked. "Would you wanna join us for a little drink?"  
"Oh, sure! Where'll it be?"  
"Ehh, we're thinking on the little patio of our room, Room 13."  
"Cool. I'll be there! K then, I'll be right back - just gonna go call the hospital. When I get back, I hope to see you there, with Koops too!"  
Koops moaned a little. His eyes were at least open a bit more than they had been.  
"OK, thanks Atlan..." Mario said.

* * *

Peach, Goombella, Flurrie, Vivian and Ms Mowz all sat in the hot tub in the resort's central plaza, each in a bikini (yes, even Vivian and Flurrie o.0) and a martini glass in hand. Sitting in a hot tub under the stars was very relaxing for all of them. For the first time since reaching Morteva, it actually felt like a vacation.  
"I do hope Koops is OK..." Flurrie sighed.  
"I'm sure he will be," Goombella said. "Besides, he'd want us out having fun instead of just standing there worrying about him, wouldn't he?"  
"Oh, I suppose you're right. You always were a smart one!"  
"Hehe, thanks!" Goombella laughed. She then turned to Vivian. "Well gosh, aren't you just like, SO glad you met that guy??"

Vivian sipped her martini and giggled. "Yeah. He's such a nice guy. He makes me really happy."  
"Well that's great!" Peach said. "I know how that feels. Why, you'd never think a princess like me would love a plumber like Mario, now would you? Well, of course, I see him as SO much more than just a plumber. The man's a hero! A hero that I love dearly!"  
"Yeah," Vivian said. "I do really like Atlan, but I still think Mario's the best man in my life!"  
All the girls laughed.

"So, you love him yet?" Goombella asked slyly. All the girls waited for her to answer.  
Vivian looked down and played nervously with her hair. "Well... I'm not sure..." She then leaned in a bit closer and lowered her voice to a whisper. "But... I think he almost told me he did."  
"Oooooooooooooo!!" All the girls exclaimed. Vivian felt so embarrassed!  
"I know, I know... Maybe I'm just imagining things," Vivian admitted. "But c'mon, how could I not? The guy just seems too good to be true! He almost seems like someone that's just acting to be that good, you know? That's how good he is! Really!"

Ms Mowz and Flurrie then gave each other worried glances. For whatever reason, it had just reoccurred to them who Atlan really was...  
Ms Mowz turned to Vivian. "Well dearie, it will take some time, but you'll find soon find out just what Atlan's really all about."  
Vivian caught a sense of slyness in Ms Mowz's voice, as though there were some hidden enigma to her message, but she disregarded it and merely took her words as advice. "Hmhm... Thanks Ms Mowz."

* * *

Bobbery and Verdugo helped the stumbling Koops out onto the patio of Room 13 while Mario ran across the street to the liquor store to buy a few six-packs. When he got back, he was happy to see his buddies all lounging in their chairs on the patio under the moonlight, ready to have a bit of lazy fun.

The second Mario sat down in his chair, Atlan came in, holding Koops' sweater and shell. He handed Koops the sweater, who took it with a shaky hand.  
"Did you call the doctor?" Koops asked quietly.  
"Yes," Atlan said. "They said that you have nothing to worry about. Koopas have a naturally high tolerance for poison. In fact, they seemed more worried about your open spider bite wounds than the venom itself. That's why I put your sweater in the freezer for a few minutes. Go ahead and put it on."  
"OK..." Koops obeyed. He carefully slipped it over his body, shuddering as he did. "C-cold..." he stammered. "Feels sorta good on my bites, though..."  
"That's good," Atlan said. "Right then, the paramedics will stop by tomorrow morning to inject you with an anti-venom. That way, the effects of the venom on your body will be completely nullified, and won't do anything to harm you by the time to expel it all through your waste."  
"Ah, alright..." Koops said.  
"K, but until then, a bit of alcohol and a good night's sleep is all you need.  
"Cool," Koops said. "Now let's drink!"

"Can I have some?" Verdugo asked.  
"Sure, go ahead," Atlan said.  
"Pardon me, sir," Bobbery asked, "But isn't Verdugo a tad young to be drinking?"  
"But... I'm feeling sick!" Verdugo complained, faking a cough.  
"Well, in that case, have a little," Atlan replied, trying to sound professional again.  
"Uh, I dunno," Mario thought. "Remember what you saw when you drank that wine on the Elation?"  
Verdugo scowled. "That was wine, man! This is beer! It's different!"  
"Aw, let the kid have a little," Atlan said. "We'll just be sure not to let him drink too much."  
"Alright, you ARE the doctor..." Mario said.

"Let's propose a toast!" Koops said, holding up his bottle.  
"Yeah!" exclaimed Mario. "A toast... to Koops, for saving our asses in the Spider Kingdom, and taking a crapload of spider bites for us!"  
"And to Atlan!" Bobbery said, "For being a mighty-fine doctor!"  
"To being able to hang together again!" Verdugo shouted.  
Atlan held up his glass as well. "To Vivian..." he whispered to himself. They then all tinked their bottles and drank.  
And drink they did.

Within a half-hour, they'd each already gone through four bottles. Verdugo was definitely the most drunk, with Mario, Koops and Atlan not far behind. Bobbery, being a sailor, had been quite a big drinker back in the day, and had even been a full-blown alcoholic after Scarlette's death. He was sober now, of course, but he still had a magnificent alcohol tolerance. All he felt was a slight buzz.

"So..." Atlan bumbled, "I hear that when girls get hired at restaurants, the shift they are asked to work depends on how cute they are... You know, the cuter they are, the later they work, cuz it's more crowded... See what I mean...?"  
"Oh yeah! Yeah... I see what you mean," Mario said, falling over a bit. "So, uh... Out of the girls we're travelin' with, what shift would they all work if they were to be hired at a restaurant...?"  
"Oh!" Mumbled Koops. "Flurrie would be, like... Early Bird shift, mirite? Mirite??" All of them laughed.  
"Hmm... Well, that Ms Mowz woman would probably be serving around dinnertime, if you ask me," Bobbery said.  
"Oh, but you know what?" Mario said. "Uhh... Goombella and Peach would be, like, Late Shift, know what I'm sayin'? HAHA!"  
"Waitwaitwait..." Verdugo squeaked. "Err... we're forgetting someone... Oh yeah, Vivian!"  
"Vivian," Koops said, "Would be, like, Midnight, Grab-A-Sailor Shift! WOO!"  
They all laughed and gave each other high-fives.  
"Man, that Vivian is just the hottest damn cutie I ever seen..." said Mario. "You're one lucky bastard, Atlan."  
"Hehe, I know..." Atlan replied.

Mario then stood up. "Ya know, all this talk about cute girls and restaurants and stuff is really makin' me kinky! I'm gonna go check out the girls in the hot tub!"  
"Oh! I'll go with ya!" Atlan said. The two got up and started toward the patio door.  
"Oh dear..." Bobbery said. "I don't want them to cause any trouble..." He looked at Koops and Verdugo. They both appeared to be holding their own OK.  
"Don't worry, Bobbery!" said Koops, struggling to sit up. "We'll be alright. Right Verdugo?"  
"OCHIKO!" Verdugo spontaneously yelled.  
"Well, OK then," Bobbery said, "I'll be going after those two before they make complete fools of themselves!" With that, he hopped off his chair and ran after Mario and Atlan.

When Bobbery reached the spa, he saw only Mario there, staring at the five girls in the hot tub from behind a palm tree. He was mumbling to himself in pleasure.  
"Mario!" Bobbery scolded.  
Mario turned around. "Oh, hi Bobbery! Just checkin' out the babes! Pretty fine, eh?"  
"Mario, this is indecent! Give those girls their privacy!"  
"Aw, c'mon! Don't tell me you don't like lookin'! Those bikinis are niiiice..."  
"I do NOT approve of this, Mario! If you want to make yourself out to be a foolish pervert, then be my guest! I do hope you embarrass yourself!" And with that, he walked off.  
However, while doing so, he slipped on a wet bit of floor and his round body began to roll. He bounced down some cement steps before finally being able to stand up again. When he did, he found himself right in front of the hot tub, all five girls staring at him.  
His face turned bright red.

"Bobbery!" Flurrie asked, shocked. "What are you doing??"  
"How indecent!" Ms Mowz scowled.  
"Geez, can't we like, have some privacy here?" Goombella asked.  
"What a foolish pervert..." Peach muttered.  
Bobbery stammered. "I, uh... I was just umm... Excuse me ladies!" And with that, he ran off.  
Vivian looked at him sympathetically. "Hmhmm... Poor man. He must be so embarrassed!" She took another sip of her martini, but realized it was her last. Her glass was emptied.  
"Hey girls, I'm just gonna head over to the bar real fast and refill my glass."

Mario admired the sight of Vivian rising from the hot tub and wrapping herself up in a white towel. "Ooooh baby! But... I wonder where Atlan is?"

Bobbery eventually made it back to the patio where Koops and Verdugo were still lounging around.

"So, what happened?" Koops asked.  
"Err... Never you mind, boy. All I'll say is there was a bit of embarrassment..."  
"Hehe... cool," Verdugo said with a burp. "Where's Mario and that other guy?"  
"Mario's out there being a rude peeker at the ladies in the hot tub, and I don't know where Atlan is..."  
"Oh, oh well," said Koops. "Well, I think I'm done drinkin' for the night. But, uhh... there's still one bottle left. You want it, Bobbery?"  
"I want it!" Verdugo yelped.  
"No, no way!" Koops groaned. "You've already had, like, five bottles."  
"Five bottles?!" Bobbery exclaimed. "Goodness boy, you'd best stop now if you wish to live to the age of 30!" And with that, Bobbery snatched the last bottle and began to drink. Koops and Verdugo continued bumbling like fools and making dirty jokes.

Suddenly, the patio door of the room next door opened up, and out came a huge, green, and vaguely familiar adversary...  
Bobbery stiffened. "B-Bowser..." he whispered to himself, to scared to move. "What on earth is HE doing here?!"

But Bowser looked so tired he probably had no idea what was going on. One of his eyes was completely closed, the other being only half-open, and he could barely stand upright. He stumbled over to the little rail that separated the two patios and snarled. "Hey, you guys!" he mumbled. "Yoshi! Koopa! Bomb guy! Quiet down over there! I'm tryin' to sleep..."

Verdugo burped. "Hehe... W-who's this guy, eh? Looks like some kinda... turtle dragon!"  
"Whoa..." said Koops. "Would that make him, like, a... Dratle, or something?"  
"No..." replied Verdugo. "He's a... a _Turgon_!"  
Bowser growled. "I'm NOT a Turgon! I'm the Evil King Bowser! FEAR my accounting..."  
"Shut up, ya Turgon!" shouted Verdugo, chucking an empty bottle at Bowser. It missed and shattered on Bowser's patio.  
"You're cleanin' that up!" roared Bowser, walking back into his room. "And... and QUIET DOWN I'M TRYIN' ta sleep..."

Once Bowser was back in his room, Bobbery finally let his breath escape. Was that really Bowser?! But how? Why? What was he doing there? He seemed far too tired to recognize any of them, and Koops and Verdugo were so wasted they didn't recognize him either. Bobbery himself was the only one who knew...  
But how on Earth would he tell everyone?  
How could he tell them that Bowser, the Evil King, was staying in the room right next to theirs?!

Bobbery then looked at the half-empty bottle of beer in his hands...

He then laughed to himself and shook his head. As high as he believed his alcohol tolerance was, perhaps he'd had just a wee bit too much that night.

Yes, that had to be it. No way had he just seen Bowser. No way he was in the room right next to theirs.

No way...

* * *

Vivian floated in the direction of the bar with her towel wrapped around her and her martini glass in her hand. As she did, she passed a small grove of bushes.

She was walking by when she thought she heard a rustle...  
Gasping, she turned towards the bushes, and saw nothing unusual.  
Putting it off, she kept moving...  
But then she heard it again.  
She turned more quickly this time, and saw one of the bushes clearly moving a bit.  
Taking some deep breaths, she figured it must've just been some animal or something. She continued moving, with a watchful eye, ready for anything that might pop out with little warning...  
"HIYA VIVIAN!"

Vivian screamed when she saw a familiar white figure leap from the bushes!  
When she saw who it was, her jaw dropped. "D-doopliss?!" she stammered.

"That's right, it's me!" Doopliss exclaimed. He looked very wobbly and uncoordinated. It was obvious he had been drinking.  
"Doopliss, what are you DOING here??"  
Doopliss looked her body up and down. "Heheh... I like you with that towel around you. Looks nice..."  
Vivian looked down at her towel and gasped. She began to take it off, revealing her bikini underneath.  
"Oh, even better!" Doopliss said. "That's right, baby. Take it off reeeal slow like that..."  
Vivian then realized what she was doing and quickly wrapped herself up again.  
"How'd you even get in that bikini anyway, baby?" Doopliss asked. "You ain't got legs! Haha!"

Vivian scowled. "That's none of your business! Now tell me right now, WHAT are you DOING here?!"  
"Hey hey, easy sugar!" Doopliss blurted. "I'm just on vacation!"  
Vivian frowned. "Oh, really? Cleanin' out the gutters at my house was just too much hard work for you, huh? Mandatory vacation, huh? Well why _here_?! Why, of all places, did you have to come to Morteva-?!"  
She then gasped at the realization that just entered her mind. She looked down at Doopliss, who was staring at her through his googly eyes.  
"Oh no..." she whispered. "You... you _followed _me here..."  
"Hehe, I guess you could say that!" Doopliss said with a burp.

Vivian fumed. "STALKER!"  
"Stalker?" Doopliss asked, surprised. "Nah... nah, I'm no stalker. I'm just uhh... I just like bein' where you are, Viv..."  
"That's the same thing!" she cried.  
"Aw... take it easy, baby!" he croaked, moving in closer.  
"Do NOT call me 'baby'!!" she ordered harshly, pushing him away. "Ugh, I cannot BELIEVE you! I cannot believe you followed me here!!"  
She then covered her face with her hand. "Please Doopliss, just go away! You're scaring me!"  
"SCARING you?" Doopliss asked. "_I'm_ scaring _you_?? YOU'RE the one who can light shit on fire with your goddamn finger!"  
"Please..." she quivered, "Just go away..."  
Doopliss could see tears beginning to roll down from behind her pretty curl of hair. "Aw whassa matter sugar?" he asked.  
"Oh... I couldn't imagine if Atlan saw you..."

Doopliss then looked up at her. "Atlan? That pretty boy?"  
Vivian wiped her tears away, and suddenly looked angry again. "Don't you DARE say anything about him..."  
"Well, ya know..." hiccupped Doopliss."I've talked to the guy, and he seems like the type that switches his girls around every chance he gets!"  
"No!" Vivian cried. "He's not like that! We really like each other... Ugh, for goodness sake, WHY am I telling you this?!"  
"I'm just sayin', Viv..." he said. "I'll give him 'til tomorrow. That guy's gonna set you up SO bad, it'll be funny! Face it, Vivian - you're just the flavor of the week!"  
Vivian looked absolutely furious. "Shut up! You know NOTHING about Atlan, and you are going to say NOTHING more about him, do you hear me?!"  
"Loud and clear," he said. "Just sayin', that's all..."  
"Now go away, please!"  
"Nah! I feel like hangin' around a little bit!"  
"DAMMIT, GO AWAY!!"

Vivian raised her finger to Doopliss's face, ready to set him ablaze and relieve her fury.  
But she eventually dropped her arm down, sighed, and began to float away. Doopliss was left standing there, feeling like a total idiot.

_Doopliss, what are you DOIN'? Why are you trying to make her turn against Atlan? That disguise is the only chance you got at makin' Vivian love you! Can you not see that? What the hell's your problem! And why did you blow your cover anyway? She was happy knowing you weren't here! Ya blew it, Doopliss!_

Doopliss may have been a drunk loon at the moment, but he was smart enough to know that he'd best just leave Vivian alone. Talking to her as either himself or Atlan would've been useless, seeing as he'd already completely fucked himself up.

_Doopliss... Why? You know Vivian would never like you! 6 months ago, you tried to kill her, for god's sake! She's scared to death of you! And now, you finally have the perfect facade that Vivian can fall in love with... and you're tryin' to make her hate him, too? What the hell is your problem!? Sayin' Atlan's a total player... You're a goddamn idiot, Doopliss! Ya BLEW IT!!  
_

Doopliss watched Vivian float towards the bar with her glass. She didn't even look back at him.  
With sad eyes, he turned around and began to head back to his own room. He'd done enough damage that night...

* * *

Flurrie and Ms Mowz watched Doopliss from behind the bushes. They'd seen the whole thing, and the scene was enough to make Flurrie cry like a baby.  
"Oh, the poor dear..." whimpered Flurrie. "Can you imagine how he must feel?"  
"I know, how depressing..." Ms Mowz said. "Doopliss looks like he's on the verge of a total emotional breakdown... I mean, in his true form, Vivian can never even like him, let alone LOVE him. Though, in his Atlan disguise, Vivian can love him, but not really for him, you know? Talk about complicated! It's like a really elaborate soap opera... only it's not totally lame and is actually capable of making you feel something. How sad..."  
"Ms Mowz," Flurrie said. "I know I disagreed with you on this earlier, but... I think we should tell Vivian the truth about Doopliss and Atlan - that they're the same person."  
"That'd be a big gamble," Ms Mowz thought. "Doopliss would probably just get angry about it and run away. Vivian, though... I don't know. That girl is so hard to read... I have no idea what she would do..."  
"I know," Flurrie said. "Well, maybe we should talk to Doopliss. You know, give him a bit of advice. Without blowing his cover, of course."  
"That actually might be a good idea," Ms Mowz said.  
"Oh, I just want to help the poor dears... both of them. We'd just have to be careful of what we say. One wrong slip and we could end up with two severally broken hearts... Two broken hearts that don't deserve to be broken..."  
"Definitely," Ms Mowz sighed. "But, it's worth a shot!" She then shivered and rubbed her arms. "Say, let's get back to the hot tub. I'm freezing!"

The two ran back to the hot tub and plopped back into the nice, bubbling water. They both let out a refreshed sigh.

"Where did you two go?" asked Peach.  
"We just went to the bathroom," Ms Flurrie answered casually.  
"Together...?" Goombella wondered. "Well, whatever. Anyway, can you believe we got two Rainbow Relics in one day?"  
"Oh, I know! It's fantastic, isn't it?" Ms Mowz exclaimed. "I have to wonder though... do you think maybe us finding the Ears of Trust has caused the crystal ball to print another symbol on the map?"  
"Oh yeah!" Peach said. "Oh, and another verse of the poem, maybe?"  
"That poem sure is something else," Flurrie reasoned. "To be completely honest, I don't look forward to seeing what other ominous passage has been added..."

Vivian had just come floating back and was now in the hot tub again with her martini glass full. "Hey guys, talking about that freaky poem?"  
"Yeah," Goombella said. "It's so weird, isn't it? I mean, it's like some dark race wanted The Rainbow dead... but why? So that aliens could come in and invade earth?"  
"That's an interesting thought," Ms Mowz thought. "You'd think these evil beings themselves would want to control the world, not allow extraterrestrial beings to do it..."  
"It's certainly intriguing," Flurrie said. "Especially that bit about Rogueport and how the territory war over there somehow gave birth to a baby girl..."  
Everyone was silent for a while, until Vivian finally spoke. "That poem... I think I've heard it somewhere before..."

All the girls stared at her. "What? Where?!"  
"I don't know..." Vivian said, looking down. "But the words... I almost feel like when I'm hearing the words, I always sort of know the line that's coming next, you know? It's so odd..."  
"Vivian, REALLY try and remember where you heard this poem!" Goombella ordered. "I really think there's something odd about this whole thing, and I think this poem is the key to it all. Now where did you hear it? Was it from when you were really little or something?"  
"Yeah, I think so..." Vivian answered quietly.  
"Well how old are you?" Ms Mowz asked.  
"I dunno," whimpered Vivian, starting to feel pressured. "A little over 1,000 years, I think..."  
"The Thousand-Year Door..." Flurrie whispered to herself. "Vivian, do you know who this baby girl might be?"  
"I don't KNOW!" Vivian cried. "Please, stop inquiring me! All I said was I think I've heard this poem before! That doesn't mean I have any idea what it means! So please, stop it!"  
Everyone immediately obeyed.

Peach then stood up. "Well... this has been a really fun night, but I think I'm ready to head back to the room. Maybe I'll take a look at that map when I get there..." She began to head towards the door back into the building, past a group of fisherman that were practicing their cast in a nearby fish pond.  
"OK, you go ahead and do that," Goombella said.

Suddenly, Goombella got... that feeling again. The image... the screaming... it was all happening so fast...  
That screaming...  
Peach!  
"Peach! Look out!" she cried.

"What?" Peach asked.  
At that moment, a fisherman cast his line backward. It looped over a lamp pole several times before it fell back to earth... and slipped right into the back of Peach's lower bikini.  
"What the-?" she asked, trying to feel what it was that had slipped into there.  
The fisherman then yanked hard on the line, causing the hook to pull hard on Peach's bikini. The fisherman must've been pretty damn strong, cuz he kept pulling on that line and dragging a struggling Peach until the lamp pole served as a pulley and lifted her off the ground! Since the line had been wrapped around the pole, she didn't fall back down. She was hanging, and she was screaming in total agonizing pain. "Help ME!!" she yelled.

The fisherman finally turned around and saw what he had done. He immediately ran over and tried to help her down. "TOMIC WEDGIE!!" Goombella cried. The girls all jumped out of the hot tub and ran over to help as well.  
Peach was flailing her limbs, trying to shake herself loose from her incredibly painful prison. "Help me!" she kept yelling between sobs. "HELP ME!!"  
Vivian tried burning the fishing line, but that didn't seem to work. Flurrie flew up and tried to undo the fishing line wrapped around the pole, but she couldn't do that either. All the while, Peach cried more and more as the pain grew worse and worse.  
The fisherman finally found the only solution. He grabbed Peach's bikini, and using his strong hands, ripped it in two, causing Peach to fall to the earth.

"Thank you," she panted. "Thank you..."  
"I'm awfully sorry, miss," he said with a smile, "Though I'd have to thank you, too!"  
"Huh? Why?" she asked.  
She then looked down and realized... her lower bikini part was ripped off.  
Holy crap, she was fuggin' exposed!  
Blushing in embarrassment, she got up and ran back into the building as fast as she could. The girls all ran after her, not sure whether they should sympathize or laugh their butts off.  
Even Goombella. Looks like Uber had skipped her after all...

A still drunk Mario watched the whole fiasco from behind his tree. Once it was all over he smiled to himself. "Peach getting a bikini wedgie... Damn, I'm gonna remember this night for the rest of my LIFE!"

* * *

"Everybody!" Peach called out. "We have to look at the crystal ball and the map now that we've found another Rainbow Relic! Settle down!"

Everyone had returned to the room in order to do what Peach had just described - look at the Map and see if the Crystal Ball had added another symbol and poem verse now that they had found the second Rainbow Relic - the Ears of Trust. The girls seemed to be cooperating, but all the men were bumbling about like morons. It was clear they'd all been drinking heavily.  
"I know you're all drunk!" Peach yelled to the guys, who were laughing over a game of Super Smash Bros Melee, "But we have to look at this! And I'm in a really bad mood right now because I just got wedgied and it still hurts!"  
"Aww... alright," said Mario, standing up and joining them. Koops, Verdugo and Bobbery complied as well.  
"Koops, how are you feeling?" Vivian asked. "Did Atlan take good care of you?"  
"Yeah..." he said softly. "I got a lot of spider bites, but Atlan called the hospital and the paramedics will be here tomorrow morning to give me an anti-venom. Atlan did put my sweater in the freezer to help numb the bites, so... yeah."  
"Well, that's good to hear," Vivian said.

Peach walked over to her suitcase to look for the Map and the Crystal ball. However, she didn't have to look long, as both were already sitting on the ground nearby. She held them up and examined them both. She then turned around and faced them all, holding the two objects up. "Looks like they did their thing while we were out..." she said.

She brought them over to the desk where everyone was huddled and set them down. The once-black ear symbol was now bright orange, and as they suspected, a new black one had appeared. This one looked somewhat like a pair of lips, and was situated in a sort of colosseum-looking building that was east of the Plains of Eden, beyond the forest that housed the Spider Kingdom.  
"Hehe!" laughed Mario. "Looks like... that thing between a woman's legs!"  
"Ugh, no it's not!" Goombella said. "It's a pair of lips! Oh, I wonder what those could represent?"  
"Hot steamy love, perhaps?" Bobbery joked. All the guys laughed.  
"I'm willing to bet you're right if you just take out the 'hot and steamy' bit," Ms Mowz said.  
"Certainly seems that way," Flurrie thought. "But what do you suppose that building is where it's hidden?"  
"Is there beer there?" Verdugo asked with a belch.  
"Umm... I doubt it," Peach said. "And even if there was, there's no way in HELL we'd let you drink anyway!"  
"What? Why not! That's so_ hic! _weak!!"  
"Just forget about him," Ms Mowz said. "He'll have a hangover so bad tomorrow morning that he'll never want to drink again. Anyway, if I had to guess, I'd say the building looks like one of those old colosseums where massive battles take place."  
"GLITZ PIT!" Mario cried spontaneously.  
"Omigosh, I hope so!" Goombella exclaimed. "That was, like, my FAVORITE chapter last time!"  
"Alright then," Peach said. "We have an idea where the next Rainbow Relic is. Let's look at the poem..."

Peach turned the Map over and found that yet another verse of The Poem had been added...  
"Should I read it?" she asked.  
Everybody looked at one another scared to say anything. Did they really want to hear what cryptic message The Poem was now ready to tell? Part of them was dying to hear, yet the other was terrified. They knew The Poem's message was only going to become more dark and haunting with each verse that was written.  
Koops finally called out, "Read it already! I'm about to frickin' piss myself here!"  
And so Peach began to read...

_**Protector of the Sky  
Grounded by the eye  
Of the ever-growing beast  
Which the light is its feast...**_**  
**

_**Born from dark hearts  
We seize the Gods' Arts  
We live to see die  
The Protector of the Sky...**_

_**Crooks, rogues and thieves  
Plague a town by the sea,  
This dark and shadowed war,  
A baby girl, it bore...**_

_**A land of toadstools  
Where an empire rules,  
And where kings kill for joy  
And spawn an infant boy...**_

"That's dumb!" Verdugo said. "How's a bunch of kings gonna give birth to a boy?"  
"You know, that's actually a good question," Vivian thought. "That's what the wording suggests..."  
"That whole monarchy part sounds like the Mushroomian Empire," Goombella said. "The empire that had once ruled much of the world about 1,000 years ago. Princess Peach, your castle was once the castle of the family of leaders that ruled the empire. They were very corrupt and cruel, often killing pawns for crimes they didn't commit. Some claimed they only killed for pleasure. Remember? I also told you guys that the Atomic Wedgie was a high form of punishment there!"

"Say," said Ms Mowz, "If what you say is true, then there might be some connection between that and the fact that this map was found in the castle storeroom!"  
"But what about the baby boy?" Flurrie asked. "I mean, when I first heard of the baby girl in the last part, I had an idea of what exactly the baby girl might be. But... a baby boy? That whole thing just blows my whole theory out of the water..."

"Well, that's cool, but I'm gonna crash..." Mario mumbled. "See ya'll in the morning!" And with that, he plopped on the bed and promptly fell asleep. Koops and Bobbery did so as well. Verdugo followed behind. "OCHIKO!" he yelled before dropping on a random bed and falling fast asleep.  
"Well," Peach said, rolling up the Map. "I think we'd best go to bed, too. We can worry about the poem in the morning..."  
"Alright," Vivian said. "I promise to go with you guys to get the next Rainbow Relic."  
"Yeah, me too!" Goombella said.

Flurrie and Ms Mowz then looked at one another.

"Umm... we're gonna stay up a bit longer," Ms Mowz said.  
"Yes, just for a little while!" added Flurrie.

As everyone else settled in for bed, the two ladies stood and walked out the door into the hallway before shutting it closed.

Doopliss lay on his bed, cursing to himself. How could he have been so dumb? Alcohol may have been a cure for a lot of things, but it certainly wasn't a cure for his own stupidity...  
A knock on the door then startled him. Taking his Atlan disguise, he quickly ran over to the door and opened it. He nearly fell over when he saw Flurrie and Ms Mowz standing there.

"Oh, uh... hi Flurrie, Ms Mowz..." he stammered.  
"We never told you our names, Atlan," said Flurrie slyly. "Or, should I say... Doopliss?"  
Atlan's eyes opened wide. "W-What? Doopliss? Who's that? I don't know any-"  
"Mind if we come in, Doopliss?" Ms Mowz asked.  
"Sure... uh wait. NO! No, you can't!"  
"We can and we are, Doopliss," Flurrie said, pushing him out of the way and entering. They sat themselves on one of the beds.  
Atlan ran over and yelled. "Listen, I don't know what you're talking about! Really! Now get out of my room! My name is not Doopliss!"  
But when he saw Flurrie and Ms Mowz giving him that 'cut the bullcrap' stare, he finally gave up and sighed. Plus, since they'd already said his real name, he felt the magic of his copy spell beginning to fade away. With a groan of frustration, he deliberately removed his disguise, revealing his ordinary ghostly self. "OK, it's me..." he moaned.

Doopliss took a seat on the other bed, facing the two girls. "How'd you figure me out?"  
"That's not important," Ms Mowz reasoned. "We're not here to harm you, though, because we know you're not here to harm us either..."  
"Hmph! What makes you think that?"  
"Doopliss, dear," said Flurrie. "I saw you the day you ran from the theater saying how life wasn't worth living without your true love. And, well... I'm afraid we know who that person is..."

Doopliss stared at them both. "Vivian..." he whispered under his breath. "Please," he said seriously. "Don't tell her. Please..."  
"Don't worry sweetie, we won't," Ms Mowz assured. "But we know the situation you're in. Vivian hates you in your true form, but when you're Atlan, she really only loves Atlan and not you. You realize this and are starting to feel threatened by your own alter-ego. You're now trying to make her turn away from him because you somehow think its going to make it possible for her to love the true you, even though you already know that can never happen. It's an awful spiral that you've gotten yourself into..."  
Doopliss stared blankly. "Damn, you know more about my issues than I do!"  
"It would seem so," Flurrie laughed. "But honestly, at the bottom of this spiral is inevitable heartbreak, and if you keep doing what you're doing, you're eventually going to be sucked all the way down... and I'm afraid you're going to drag Vivian down with you. There's one and only one way that you can save yourself. There's one and only one way out of this..."  
"What is it?" Doopliss asked, feeling he could trust these two.  
Ms Mowz sighed. "Doopliss sweetie, you have to tell her the truth yourself..."

"HUH?!" Doopliss asked in surprise. He couldn't believe his ears! These girls had sounded so smart a second earlier, and now this?! "I can't do that!" he protested. "She hates me!"  
"It will happen eventually, Doopliss," Ms Mowz reassured. "Trust us, we know what we're talking about."  
"I refuse to believe that!" Doopliss said, turning away. "You crazy hags! Vivian'll never let me talk to her. Never..."  
Flurrie floated over and put a hand on his shoulder. "Dearie... if it will help make you feel better, how about you start off telling her while she's asleep?"  
Doopliss looked up at her. "Asleep...?"  
"Yes, of course! She's asleep in our room right now. I suggest you go on over, sit by her side, caress her gently, and say all that you wish to tell her..."  
"And then," Ms Mowz added, "It will make it that much easier to tell her face-to-face when you're ready..."  
Doopliss thought about that. "Hmm... I guess that wouldn't be so bad..."

* * *

Flurrie and Ms Mowz used their key to open the door to Room 13 for Doopliss. He walked into the dark room slowly and quietly, careful not to make a sound.  
"Good luck Doopliss," Ms Mowz said solemnly.  
"Don't worry about a thing, dearie," Flurrie said. "Say all that you want to say to her."  
Doopliss sighed. "Ok, but-"  
But the girls had already closed the door, closing him within the dark and quiet room.

Doopliss walked in slowly. There were four queen-size beds, and three were occupied by snoozing members of the party. Mario and Peach in one bed, Bobbery and Verdugo in another, and Koops and Goombella in the third. The fourth was empty. Probably for Flurrie and Ms Mowz, he thought. But one question still lingered in his mind... Where was Vivian sleeping?

He turned a bit to his left and saw the desk. Upon it was a piece of paper and a very strange-looking crystal ball. It was filled with shifting, restless purple smoke, and it almost struck Doopliss as somewhat ominous. It seemed to know Doopliss was looking at it, for the smoke began to shift and dance excitedly as he stared. Getting kinda freaked out, he quickly began to back up and turn around.  
_BANG!_

Doopliss accidentally slammed hard into a bed he hadn't seen earlier! It seemed to be a pull-out bed from a closet, and someone was sleeping in it. Had he woken them up? Evidently not. He sighed heavily.  
Doopliss then looked at the person in the bed...  
And his heart skipped.  
"Vivian..."

There lay Vivian under the covers. She slept peacefully on her side, her head resting on her hands. She looked like an innocent little girl the way she slept.  
Doopliss walked around to the side of the bed and, moving inch-by-inch, slowly sat down on the bed beside her. He then reached out a shaking, sheet-covered arm and began to gently caress her hair. All the while, he never took his eyes off the face of his sleeping beauty.

"Vivian..." he said quietly.  
Vivian moaned a little bit, as though in response. "Mmmm... Atlan?" she whispered in her sleep.  
"No... not entirely," he responded. He took a deep breath and continued. "I know you're asleep Vivian, but maybe somewhere in your subconscious, you can hear my voice... I hope you can..."  
When Vivian was silent for a little while, he finally spoke. "Vivian... there's something I need to tell you..."  
"Hmmm...?" she seemed to ask.  
"Vivian," Doopliss shuddered. "...When I first saw you in the Creepy Steeple so long ago, I knew right then that you were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I never wanted to hurt you - that damn Crystal Star just had a sort of spell on me. It was terrible because I was completely aware of what I was doing while I was doing it, too. Please believe me... I never wanted to hurt you. And I'll understand if you never forgive me for the rest your life... I know you're scared of me, Vivian, but your fear can never compare to the fear I feel when I see you. That haunting fear that you'll never forgive me... That's why I followed you here and took that Atlan disguise... because I wanted to be with you, without you knowing who I was."  
"Mmmm... Atlan?" Vivian moaned again.  
"Yes..." Doopliss said lowly. "I am Atlan. But he's a fake. He's not real. Not to you. It's me. It was always me. Please understand - I had to. It was the only way I could be happy. Or I thought it was... You see Vivian... I only did it because there's something I've been wanting to tell you..."  
"Hmmm...?" Vivian asked again.  
"It's why I disguised myself in the first place, but it's also why I'm revealing myself to you at this moment," Doopliss said. He could almost feel the hot tears building up behind his eyes.  
He then took in a deep breath and said softly...  
"I love you, Vivian..."

Vivian seemed to stir a bit when he said that. Her lips twitched and she made a seemingly unpleasant moan.  
But then her lips slowly curved up into a smile.  
"I love you too, Atlan..."

When Doopliss heard those words, his heart broke in his chest.  
Atlan... Doopliss had been so afraid of Vivian's hatred... he had completely overdone his charade without ever realizing what he had done.  
Vivian loved Atlan.  
She would never love Doopliss.  
Never...  
"Damn you Atlan...!" he quivered under his breath. "Damn you..."

Unable to control the tears that were escaping his eyes, Doopliss quickly dismounted the bed and walked towards the door. Before twisting the knob, he took one last tear-filled look at his lost love before opening the door back into the hallway.

Flurrie and Ms Mowz had been waiting for him to ask what it was he had said to Vivian in her sleep. However, they were both surprised to see tears rolling down his cheeks.  
"Oh goodness," Flurrie gasped. "What's wrong dearie?"  
Doopliss tried to hide his face as he walked past them to the door to his room. He then used his key to open the door and walked in. However, before closing it, he stopped in the doorway.  
Then, without turning around, he said...  
"Vivian loves Atlan."  
He then closed the door, leaving the two girls in the hallway.

"Oh my..." Ms Mowz sighed. "How sad..."  
Flurrie and Ms Mowz looked at one another. They both felt for Doopliss. The poor guy...  
Without another word, they walked back into their own room, got in their bed, and tried to get to asleep...


	6. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

**- Fallen Warrior -**

Following the Map, the gang walked through the sunlit Plains of Eden towards the colosseum on the map.  
"Ugh... My head hurts..." moaned Mario.  
"Man, what a hangover..." mumbled Koops. "Plus, I'm still kinda dizzy from that anti-venom the paramedics gave me this morning. This is gonna be a rough day..."  
"I am **NEVER** drinking again!" shouted Verdugo.  
Bobbery merely laughed at these doofuses that couldn't handle their alcohol. Strangely enough, though, he couldn't remember a thing that had happened last night...

As Vivian floated along, she had some strange thoughts in her mind that she felt she needed to express to one of the girls. Peach was busy reading the Map, and Flurrie and Ms Mowz were already talking about something, so she changed course a bit and floated next to Goombella.  
"Goombella?" she asked.  
"Hey Vivian. 'Sup?"  
"I won't go saying this in a very loud voice, but... You're not going to believe who I saw at the resort last night..."  
Goombella looked at her suspiciously. "Who?"  
Vivian leaned in close. "Doopliss..."

Goombella gasped, though not aloud enough to attract attention. "Doopliss?!" she whispered. "Are you serious?!"  
"Yes," Vivian said. "He was totally drunk and was spewing all this scary crap about how he followed me here because he wanted to be with me..."  
"Oh wow..." Goombella said.  
"And then he said he knew Atlan!"  
"What? Really? What did he say about him?"  
Vivian grunted. "Hmph... The little jerk! He told me Atlan was just playing me. That I was just his little toy that he would get bored with and ditch for someone else. That I was just the flavor of the week..."  
"Omigosh! How mean! Atlan's not like that. I can tell. You can just tell Doopliss to shove it!"  
"Well, I definitely felt like it..." Vivian said.

Her tone then became a bit more relaxed. "But... I did have a really weird dream last night... And Doopliss was in it."  
"Hmm... Well THAT'S weird. What happened?"  
"Not much," Vivian replied. "It was like, there was Doopliss, but every once in a while, he would be replaced by Atlan. The two would continually switch back and forth, and they both were talking about the same thing, and the conversation would continue exactly as it had left off even when they switched. The weird thing is, when Atlan was talking, I could hear everything he was saying, but when Doopliss was talking, I couldn't understand a word of it. All I understood was when he said my name. All the rest was just... inaudible whispers..."  
"Wow, freaky." Goombella thought. "What were they saying?"  
"Well, the little bits and pieces I heard when Atlan spoke were something about how he never wanted to hurt me, and how he was so scared that I'd never forgive him for something bad he'd done... At the end, Atlan was there and he told me he loved me. I then said I loved him back, but as I did, he turned into Doopliss. So... I ended up saying 'I love you, Atlan' to Doopliss instead. Isn't that strange?"  
"Yeah... That's like, SCARY strange..."

Vivian nodded solemnly. She then realized - Flurrie and Ms Mowz had been silent for a little while now. She turned in their direction, and saw they were simply walking along quietly. It was noticed that Flurrie quickly looked away when Vivian looked at them.  
Had they been listening...?  
Well, either way, it didn't matter. It's not like they could have any idea what her dream meant...

Vivian then looked at Goombella again. "You know Goombella, I've been wondering about... that messenger."  
"Hm?" Goombella asked. "The one we met when we first docked here?"  
"Yeah," Vivian said. "The letter he sent me, and the things he said when he met me in person... He acted like I was the 'Great Savior of the World' and that the Gods thought of me as a great heroine. And then I meet the Gods and... Reinus didn't seem too pleased to meet me. Hell, the guy almost looked like he was about to have a stroke when I told him I was a Shadow Siren... And then, well, I know you were off with Koops and Verdugo looking for Uber at the time, but the rest of us met the Fire and Ice gods, Loki and Fyord. When they met me, they were talking about me like I was a goddamn joke. It's like, why would this messenger guy say all this stuff when it's clearly not true to the other Gods? Reinus even said the Gods didn't use messengers anymore... Evidently, the only God who thinks highly of me is some Earth God named Zanthir..."  
Goombella raised her eyebrows. "Zanthir! Omigosh, we MET him!"  
Vivian turned to her. "Really? When?!"  
"Koops, Verdugo and I! We met him when we were off looking for Uber," Goombella explained. "He was really nice and sweet. He said he saw you beat up Lord Crump when we were on his pirate ship at Keelhaul Key, remember?"  
"Yeah, I _did_ do the finishing blow on him," Vivian recalled.  
"Yeah... I think the other Gods kind of make fun of Zanthir, though. He said only Reinus takes any of what he says seriously. Poor guy... Seems like he's got a bit of an inferiority complex."  
"Just like me with my sisters..." Vivian said glumly. She then looked up in they sky and wondered just what her sisters might have been doing at that moment...  
"So," Goombella said. "The only godly figures that respect you are Zanthir and the weird messenger, yet Reinus specifically said the Gods don't use messengers. Weird..."  
"Seriously..." Vivian said in wonder.  
Peach then called out. "Hey everyone! We're here!"

They all looked at the massive colosseum less than a mile ahead. It was studded in gold, and was marked with many dragonish symbols. For some reason, it had a really Japanese flair to it. The name on the large sign was very un-Japanese though; _The Ninja Dome._

The group approached the dome and entered through the large front doors. They found themselves in a large, extravagant lobby. A lone man stood behind the large counter. He was and old, Japanese man with a warrior's headband around his head. They walked up to the counter to speak with him.  
"Hello," said Peach. "Umm... What is this place?"  
The man cleared his throat, and in a thick Japanese accent, explained. "This is the Ninja Dome. It is a big dome where many people come to fight in the style of ancient ninja warriors. It very dangerous sometimes, but it fun! You all are fighters, no?"  
"Yeah, we've all had prior experience," answered Mario.  
"Very good," he said. "I can sign you up to fight against some of the greatest warriors in Morteva! You know, the Gods themselves love fights like these, and sometimes come down to watch them!"

The man then looked at Peach. "Hmm... Well, I'd advise you all have a combat weapon of some sort... Do you, Miss?"  
Peach frowned. "Well, uhh... I have a parasol and a bunch of vegetables that I can throw at people!"  
When the man didn't look too convinced, Peach added, "Oh, and my high heels are pretty tough!"  
The man looked down as Peach showed him her heels. He nodded approvingly. "Ah yes, those make for very good jump attack!"  
He then picked up a clipboard and began to walk into the colosseum's interior. "Come. I will show you your quarters where you rest between fights."  
"Awesome!" Verdugo said. "Just like the Glitz Pit!"

Along the way, the man spoke to them. "Here in the Ninja Dome, we hold battles as well as competitive games that test endurance and strength. If you wish to go home with prize, your team must come out on top in both tournaments. You can pick which you do first, but you must finish both if you want prize. To win prize, though, you must fight the strongest warrior in the Dome and win! I give details on that later, though..."

The old Japanese man eventually led the gang to their designated room. There wasn't much except four small beds and a few shelves for holding personal belongings. It at least seemed clean, though.  
"This will be your resting room," said the man. "I like to call it a 'restroom'."  
"Oh... How inappropriate," Flurrie thought.  
"Very well then," said the man, taking out his clipboard and pen. "You want to enter the fighting tournament first or the games tournament?"  
"Well," said Peach. "We talked a bit about it on the way here, and I think we'd first like to enter the games tournament."  
"WHAT?!" Verdugo shouted. "Ah, HELL no! I didn't hear about this! Why didn't I hear about this? Yo old dude, we wanna fight!"  
"Shut up Verdugo," Mario said. "You're hung over. A hungover's words are worth NOTHING."  
"Aww..." Verdugo complained.

"OK then," the old man said, writing something down. "Now, please give me all your names."  
They all did so. As they recited their names, the man wrote the them on his clipboard. Once they'd gotten through everyone, he then asked, "OK, just one more thing... I presume all nine of you are on the same team and wish to compete together?"  
"Yes," they all replied.  
"OK, then I'll need a team name for you. What will it be?"

Everyone immediately began to shout out team names that they thought would be ideal.  
"The Killers!"  
"Scare Tactics!"  
"The Smurfs!"  
"We Suck!"  
"Tomic Wedgie!"  
"OCHIKO!"  
"What are we yelling about?!"

The old man laughed. "Ah, well... I guess we leave that blank for now... Anyway, you're all signed up for the ninja strength and endurance games! The next round start in about five minutes. Good luck to all of you!"

* * *

The ninesome soon found themselves walking through the large colosseum doors. They walked into a humongous ring of seemingly nothing but dirt, surrounded by thousands of seats of hooting and hollering fans. For looking like a somewhat authentic ninja training temple from the outside, it sure seemed like this place may as well have just been a wrestling ring. It certainly had that flair on the inside.

At the other end of the arena, another team was walking through the other colosseum doorway and was approaching them. Both teams walked quickly and methodically, so they could meet right dead center of the arena.  
When the teams finally met, Mario and co were quite surprised. This appeared to be a team of highly trained ninja shy guys, appropriately dubbed Ninja Guys. All were draped in dark blue clothes and wore red headbands around their heads. They also wore flashy medallions, indicating they didn't play around.  
There was one member of the team that stood out a lot, however, and not because he was big...  
It was a mere Goomba in a red headband, in the middle of this rally of Ninja Guys. He didn't seem quite as strong or tough or confident as the others either. Seeing him there was almost kinda funny, they had to admit.  
Suddenly a voice boomed from the speakers. It was undeniably the old Japanese man.  
"Welcome everyone! It is I, Myagi, you're favorite ninja master! You have good time?"  
The crowd cheered loudly.  
"Today, we hold ancient ninja strength and endurance games! These two teams will be facing off in attempt to win the ancient relic that we have held onto for so many years!"

"Relic?" Mario thought to himself. "...The Rainbow Relic?"  
He looked at everyone else, and they appeared to be thinking the same thing he was.

"We've had many teams in the past win both the fighting and games tournament," Myagi continued. "However, no one ever won the relic because no one ever beaten our champion! Remember, if the new team hopes to win the relic, they must beat the champion! Can they do it? Will they be the first team ever? Let us find out!"  
The crowd went absolutely wild.

The two teams lined up face to face. Each party member found themselves staring into the mask of an experienced and possibly deadly Ninja Guy, except Mario, who was standing across from the Goomba.  
"Warriors! Bow to your opponents!" Myagi ordered.  
They all bowed, ready for whatever games would be coming their way...  
"LET THE GAMES BEGIN!"

The games that took place from then on were an authentic and truly ninja-style assortment. With virtually no breaks between games, it truly was a test of endurance...  
The first game consisted of everyone standing on a large rock, doing a jump kick in the air, and landing on a shorter rock without falling off. They would do this innumerable times until all the players on one team were out. Vivian and Flurrie were disqualified immediately for being unable to perform the jump kick effectively, and not too surprisingly, the lone Goomba on the other team was out of the game quickly as well. In the end, it eventually narrowed down to a two man game between Koops and a Ninja Guy. In the end, Koops attempted his umpteenth jump kick but feel short due to exhaustion, giving the opposing team the victory.

The second game was all about stealth. A huge maze rose up from beneath the dirt of the arena, with an open end at each side, each containing a flag for both teams. It was basically capture the flag, but if you were so much as seen holding the opposite team's flag, you'd be forced to return it. The Shy Guys were extremely stealthy and were able to slip out of view in a blink's moment. Thankfully, the only time the opposite team ever got the flag was when the Goomba grabbed, who was easily spotted by Bobbery and was forced to return it. Ms Mowz and Vivian basically won the game all by themselves. Ms Mowz was able to effectively guard their flag with her sneaking skills, and Vivian merely used Veil to capture the enemy flag with ease, and used it again to return the flag to their base. The score was now tied 1-1.

The third and final game? Super Smash Bros Melee on the big screen. Not authentic in the slightest, but still a game appreciated by ninja everywhere! The Ninja Guys were actually quite good (they preferred Marth, Falco and Fox for some reason). However, since the Goomba had no hands, he was forced to play with his teeth, which didn't work out so well. Thanks to Mario, Koops, and especially Verdugo's mad skillz, they were able to win and come out on top!

"We have a winner!" Myagi announced. "The new team!"  
The crowd cheered and shouted. The Ninja Guys and the Goomba bowed in respect to their victors.  
"Well, they have won the games tournament - perhaps they will have equal luck in the fighting tournament? Let us hope so! Please return in one hour to watch! Congratulations, new team! YOU'RE WINNER!!"

Back at the room, Myagi came to congratulate Mario and co face to face. "Well done, new team. Impressive for being new! Especially the little green one with his Smash Bros skills!"  
"You know it!" Verdugo exclaimed. "Yoshi kicks ASS in that game and everyone knows it!"  
"Heheh, yes. Well, anyhoo, your victory over our veteran Ninja Guy team has boosted your popularity much! Therefore, you need a team name now so everyone will know who you are! What shall it be?"

Mario thought a bit about what their name should be. "Hmmm... Hey guys? Anyone know how many Mario Party games there've been?"  
"Uhh..." thought Peach, trying to remember. "Well, there've been 1-7 on the consoles N64 and GCN, and there's also been Mario Party Advance for GBA, so... eight."  
"Well," said Mario with a smile, "There are nine of us, and there've been eight Mario Party games so far... How about we call ourselves Mario Party 9?"  
The name seemed to suit everyone perfectly. "Awesome!" Exclaimed Goombella. "Myagi, we wanna be called Mario Party 9!"  
"Ah yes, very good name," Myagi said, writing on his clipboard again. "Well then Mario Party 9, I'll see you in precisely one hour for the fighting competition. Good luck!"  
And with that, he was gone.  
"Aww..." Verdugo moaned. "I wanted to be called 'The Ochiko Tomic Wedgies'..."

Mario sat down on one of the beds and put his hand to his chin. It was clear he was thinking hard about something. "Hey guys," he said thoughtfully. "Myagi said that if a team ever won both the game and fighting tournaments, AND beat the Ninja Dome champion, they'd win a 'relic'. Think he's referring to the Rainbow Relic?"  
"The one that looked like a pair of lips?" Ms Mowz asked. "It would seem so. Although the map pointed to this place, we've seen no sign of a Rainbow Relic yet. I'd bet the prize for beating the champion is certainly the next one."  
"Well, we better get warmed up for the fights, then!" Peach exclaimed, examining her heels to make sure they were nice and sharp...

* * *

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" Myagi boomed over the arena's loudspeaker. "It is time for the fighting tournament to begin! Please welcome our winners of the previous games, Mario Party 9!"  
The crowd cheered loudly as Mario Party 9 walked out into the gigantic dirt arena. They were all pumped up for whatever baddies they would be pitted against!  
"Mario Party 9 will now attempt to win the ninja fighting tournament! Each of its nine members shall fight a veteran fighter well-trained in the art of ninja combat. If at least 5 members are able to come out victorious, they will be the winners and will be eligible to fight the Ninja Dome champion in a thrilling showdown for the relic! Can they do it? Let's meet their opponents!"

The doors on the opposite end of the arena opened up, and out came a mixed variety of nine fighters. They were of different species, but they still looked tough. Each fighter position themselves in front of a different member of Mario Party 9.  
A Ratooey in black walked up to Goombella and stood in front of her, indicating he had chosen her as his opponent.  
A Toad in orange robes stood across from Koops.  
A Bandit with a blue bandana over his face picked Flurrie.  
Verdugo found himself standing across from a bright red Crayzee Dayzee.  
Vivian had to face off against a Cheep-Cheep in a black mask.  
It was Bobbery VS a purple spiked Cleft.  
Ms Mowz was confronted by a Squeak just like herself, except with brown fur and a green headband.  
Peach had to settle for a Koopa with a brown shell and sunglasses.  
And Mario... he was going against the same Goomba that had preformed so lamely in the games not long ago. What a funny coincidence...  
"Bow to your opponent!" ordered Myagi.  
Everyone did, reluctant, but ready to beat the one across from them with no mercy...  
"And... FIGHT!!"

The fighting began immediately, and man, all of Mario Party 9 was dumbfounded! This wasn't the normal 'take turns' fighting they were used to. This was... real-time fighting! Holy crap! :O  
Despite this oddity, Mario was still able to do in his Goomba opponent very easily.

"Why are you even in this?" Mario asked. "I don't think you belong here, bro."  
"Ugh... You have no idea..." gasped the withered Goomba.

Mario could do nothing now but observe how the rest of his team was doing. In all honesty, it looked like a mixed bag.  
Verdugo had already been put to sleep by his Crayzee Dayzee opponent and was clearly going to lose.  
Koops was hiding defensively in his shell, trying to ward off the Toad's crazy blows, but he didn't appear to be holding up well.  
Ms Mowz, surprisingly, was put off by the other Squeak's speed and was taking a lot of hits. She wasn't looking too hot, either.  
Goombella and her Ratooey rival seemed evenly matched, but if Mario had to guess, the Ratooey was winning.

All the rest seemed to be doing great, though. Vivian's fire seemed to give her the upper hand against her Cheep-Cheep adversary.  
Flurrie's Lip Lock move was enough to make the Bandit beg for mercy.  
Bobbery had successfully flipped the purple Cleft over on its back and was blowing it up repeatedly. He looked as though he would win with no problem.  
Peach's heels had indeed proved valuable. She'd flipped her Koopa rival over and was digging her heels into his soft underbelly.

Mario, Flurrie, Bobbery and Peach all ended up winning their fights, while Goombella, Koops, Verdugo and Ms Mowz eventually lost theirs. It was not down to Vivian and the Cheep-Cheep. If Vivian won, Mario Party 9 would be victorious.  
Vivian was having trouble, though. Every time she tried to light the Cheep-Cheep on fire, the Cheep-Cheep spit water at her hands and put it out, then go in for an attack while she was defenseless. Vivian was beaten and frustrated at the same time, but would not give up.  
"C'mon Vivian! You can do it!" encouraged Mario.  
Vivian pointed her finger, but again, a water blast splashed on her glove and caused the flame to sizzle out. She was growing angry...

Mario then felt something odd in his pocket. The Crystal Ball, he wondered? He took it out and looked at it.  
The purple smoke that it had been filled with was gone.  
Gone?! But... Where the heck did it go?

At that moment, Vivian's hair began to levitate. It shifted and floated as though blown about by the wind in slow motion.  
She then curled her hands into fists...  
Let out a terrible scream...  
And thrust her palms forward in the surprised Cheep-Cheep's direction. An absolutely enormous wall of flame erupted from her palms that engulfed the Cheep-Cheep. The world grew dark, illuminated only by the bright red, wild flames. The Cheep-Cheep's horrified screams could be heard from within. He screamed and screamed until he was finally heard no more.

After several seconds, Vivian finally settled down. She dropped her hands by her sides and her hair went down to normal. When the flames vanished, there lay the Cheep-Cheep, burned to a crisp. Dead.  
The crowd was deathly silent.  
Everyone was.

"Mario Party 9..." Myagi said over the loudspeaker. "You have won the tournament. Now please return to your room."  
Mario Party 9 got no applause as they left the arena.

Everyone looked at Vivian as they walked. She still had her fists clenched, and looked as though she might just totally explode on anyone who dared to talk to her...

Once Mario Party 9 reentered the colosseum through the arena doors and were walking down the hallway towards their room, no one took their eyes off of Vivian. She kept her head down, and her hands still clenched in fists. What the heck was going on with her?

Vivian. Sweet, delicate Vivian...  
She had killed someone...  
An innocent Cheep-Cheep. She'd fried him in a fit of fiery rage.  
But why? How? Vivian would never do a thing like that. She was incapable...  
Wasn't she?

Mario finally worked up the courage to ask what was on everyone's mind. "Hey Vivian, what was that all about? That thing you did back there?"  
Vivian didn't look up at him. Her fists tightened a bit. "Why do you wanna know?"  
"Well," Mario stuttered. "It, uhh... I mean, I've just uhh... I've never seen you do that before."  
"So I was hiding a few tricks up my sleeve. What's the big deal?!" she asked harshly.  
Mario winced. "Well... Why? I mean, it would've helped a lot to know you could do that when we were on our _last_ adventure... You know, back when we were trying to kill evil monsters as opposed to just-"  
Vivian looked at Mario coldly, who realized it probably wasn't a good idea to finish that sentence.

When Mario Party 9 reached their room, Vivian immediately walked to the bed in the corner and sat down, her back turned to everyone. No one had to courage to speak to her after that.

Mario took the Crystal Ball out of his pocket...  
Still perfectly clear. No purple and black shifting smoke to be seen...  
What was going on? Where the hell did the dark smoke go to? And why was Vivian acting so... dangerous? Was there a connection at all...?

Not a minute later, Myagi stormed into the room, looking absolutely furious.  
"VIVIAN!!" he roared.  
Vivian quickly turned around and put her hand over her mouth. "Huh?" she asked, confused.  
"Come out here now!" Myagi ordered. "I need to speak to you!"  
"I... I don't understand. What did I do wrong?"  
"NOW!!"  
Vivian kept a trembling hand over her mouth as she slowly floated out the room and into the hallway. Once she was out there with him, Myagi slammed the door shut.

It seemed as though Vivian's nature had suddenly changed. Just a second ago, she'd been all dark and scary... But it seemed like in a mere instant, she was back to her sweet, innocent old self. What the heck was going on?  
Mario looked at the Crystal Ball once again...  
In the few seconds he had been looking away, the scary purple smoke had returned...  
It was clear - there was some connection between Vivian's behavior and the absence of the Crystal Ball's mysterious cloud. But what the hell was it?

Everyone listened from beyond the door. Myagi was screaming angrily, and Vivian attempted unsuccessfully to argue.  
"Vivian, the art of ninja combat is about self-defense and survival! Do you not understand what I saying?"  
"I do, Myagi, but-"  
"What you did is MURDER! You murder poor Floppy! He was veteran ninja fighter, and you burn him alive! That against the most sacred laws of the ninja ways!"  
"Myagi, please! I didn't want to kill anyone! Honest!"  
"But you DID kill someone, and that all that matters! You are a disgrace!"  
"Please Myagi, I really don't understand what happened to me out there..."  
"I don't care! Mario Party 9 is scheduled to fight Ninja Dome champion in half-hour, but I suppose I change your team name to Mario Party 8 now! You are never to enter the arena again!"  
"I... But I..."  
"No, don't try arguing! You kill a innocent being, and the ninja shall forever look down upon you! Retrieve your belongings from the room and leave! NOW!!"

The door then opened, and in floated Vivian. She was sobbing uncontrollably. However, it wasn't because she had been disqualified, but because something had happened to her...  
She had killed someone...  
And it was so frightening to her because she had no idea why.

"Vivian?" Mario asked.  
"I have to go," Vivian sobbed, grabbing her backpack. "I can't fight the champion with you guys. I have to go..."  
She quickly floated back out, but stopped at the doorway.  
"I'm sorry everybody..." she said quietly, before closing the door.

"Oh my gosh," Goombella whispered. "Vivian _killed_ someone. Can you believe it?"  
"I could never imagine her doing that..." Peach said.  
"Perhaps Vivian isn't as sweet and innocent as well all once thought," Bobbery wondered.  
"I think there's something going on a bit deeper than that..." Mario said, glancing at the Crystal Ball in his pocket. He didn't say anything about his knowledge of the purple smoke's absence and its connection with Vivian's behavior, since he himself didn't understand it.

"You guys..." Verdugo said quietly. "When Vivian was out in the arena getting ready to do her crazy fire thing... The way her hair went all wavy and freaky... It was JUST like that time I saw her in her room that one night on the Elation. When that scary face came out of her throat and tried to eat me! Remember I told you? And yeah, I KNOW I'd drunk a bit of wine then, but I'm sober now!"  
"You just downed three bottles last night," Koops said. "How can you say you're 'sober'?"  
Verdugo groaned. "Ugh, come ON guys! You believe me, right? Right?!"  
Mario sighed, taking another look at the Crystal Ball in his pocket. "I believe you, Verdugo..."

The next half-hour, no one spoke of Vivian or her frightening mood swing. It was all spent prepping up for the battle against the champion that was coming up.  
Ms Mowz looked up at the wall clock. It read 3:00pm. "Still early in the day," she said. "I'm still all full of energy!"  
"Yes!" Flurrie exclaimed. "I'm ready to take on this brutish champion! Bring him on!"

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen! Get ready for our main event for today! Mario Party 9 has beaten both the game and fighting tournaments, and they are now ready to face off against the Ninja Dome champion to win the relic! Can they do it? Let's find out now! Please welcome Mario Party 9!"  
The crowd went nuts as Mario and co walked through the big arena doors out into the dirt arena and walked towards the center.  
"However..." Myagi continued. "I regret to inform that one member of Mario Party 9 is disqualified for rash actions in the fighting round. Therefore, the team now called Mario Party 8!"  
Myagi referred to the incident merely as 'rash actions'. He clearly didn't want any more of the public to know someone had been killed.  
"Can they still win with one member lost? Who knows! Let us now bring in our Ninja Dome champion... _**Goomliath**__!_"

The arena doors on the opposite end then opened slowly...  
The crowd went hysterical as a shadowed figure stepped out into the bright sunlight...  
And all of Mario Party 8 was stunned by what they saw...

Out walked... the Goomba.  
Yup. THAT Goomba. The one that had performed so miserably in the games. The one that had lost his battle to Mario in two seconds. THAT Goomba.  
And he looked no different now, except that he wore a black headband, and carried a GCN controller in his mouth by the wire. As he walked, the controller dragged along in the sand behind him. He approached the dumbfounded members of Mario Party 8 with a cocky look on his face.  
"You're kidding!" Mario laughed. "YOU'RE the Ninja Dome champion?! Didn't I tell you that you didn't belong here with us good fighters?"  
"Yeah," the Goomba smirked. "And then I told you that you had no idea...

A wide grin then spread across his face. "Cuz I'm a GODLY fighter!"

"Bow to your opponent!" Myagi then yelled over the loudspeaker.  
Goomliath bowed. As did Mario Party 8, not sure whether to feel totally confident or really nervous...  
"And... FIGHT!!"

Before anyone could make a move, Goomliath threw his whole body around, and spun it in a quick circle, causing the GCN controller to whip up off the ground and smack Mario hard across the face. Mario was thrown back by the blow and fell hard on the sand. Flurrie and Bobbery got caught in the swing's radius and were knocked down as well.  
A split second later, Goomliath had wrapped the controller cord around Koops's ankles. He yanked it hard, causing Koops to spin, lose his balance, and fall down too. In about 5 seconds, Goomliath had already gotten half their team on the ground.  
This guy had totally fooled them. He'd been a master the whole time, just acting like a weakling.  
Oh man, did he fool them...

Once Mario recovered from his blow, he got up and motioned for everyone to run to the other side of the arena for some planning. They weren't gonna be beating Goomliath without some sort of strategy, that was for sure.  
"What are we gonna do, Mario dear?" Flurrie panicked. "That Goomba's a pain-dealing machine with that odd device..."  
"It's a GAMECUBE controller!" Verdugo scowled.  
"Oh, whatever!" snorted Flurrie.  
Mario was thinking, even though he didn't have much time. Goomliath was running at them, simultaneously spinning his upper body and causing the GCN controller to spin like a helicopter blade. He'd reach them in a matter of seconds.  
"Goombella, got your enemy encyclopedia handy?"  
"Pssh! When_ don't _I?" she exclaimed.  
"Look up Goomliath's log, and quick! Peach, you come with me. I've got an idea!"  
"What should the rest of us do?" Bobbery asked.  
"Just distract him any way you can-!"  
Goomliath was now mere feet behind Ms Mowz. He let out a cry and swung the controller hard in her direction. She took notice and ducked in the nick of time. This caused the team to break up.

While Koops, Flurrie, Verdugo, Bobbery and Ms Mowz did their best to keep Goomliath busy, Goombella stood off to the side with Mario and Peach, looking through her encyclopedia. She was growing desperate to find his tattle log, as both Bobbery and Verdugo had suffered vicious whacks to the face and neck, respectively.  
"C'mon, hurry!" Mario urged."I'm looking! I'm looking! I'm... I found it!" Goombella cried.  
She then read the description aloud to Mario and Peach...

_"This is Goomliath, current champion of Morteva's Ninja Dome. He has been the champion since the Ninja Dome was first constructed in 2001, and still holds this position today. His weapon of choice is a GCN controller, which he wields in the same manner as a nunchuck. Having practiced with this weapon since the GCN first came out, his skills are unsurpassed. Otherwise, however, he's but a normal Goomba, so his weapon itself is the main obstacle for those seeking to defeat him. GCN controllers are nigh indestructible, but perhaps if you can break the chord, Goomliath will be left defenseless. To date, no one has defeated Goomliath, so no reliable methods to beating him can be offered. If you have anything to contribute to this page, please dial 1-800-ROFLMAO."_

_  
_  
Mario grinned. "I knew it!"  
"What is it, Mario?" Peach asked. "What's your idea?"  
"Peach, let me see your crown..."  
"What? Why?"  
"You hit people with it in Super Smash Bros, right?"  
"Well, yeah but..."  
"So it's sharp, right?"  
"Yeah, pretty sharp."  
"Perfect! Then lemme see it!"  
"Well... OK, but you'd better give it back to me in one piece!"

Goomliath was having a blast swinging his controller around, warding off the blows of the five or so people trying to attack him. They'd all suffered quite a few bumps and bruises, and they looked as though they might start surrendering one by one...  
"Yo Goomliath!" someone yelled from behind.  
Goomliath whipped around and saw Mario, clutching his hammer in his hands. It looked like a crown had been glued to the hammer's head.  
"How ya doin' Mario?" he mocked. "Quite a graveyard around here, eh? Looks at all your friends struggling to stand up! It's great! Five of your buds can't even take me on! What makes you think you can by yourself?"  
"Just give me your best shot!" Mario ordered.

Goomliath laughed. "Wanna know why my GCN nunchuck is the ultimate weapon in this world?"  
"What do you mean 'in this world'?" Mario asked.  
"Just look at it!" Goomliath said.  
Mario studied the weapon from afar...  
The GCN controller was in full 3-D.  
Mario looked at it, then at his own hammer-crown. His weapon just looked so... lame compared to Goomliath's.  
"See?" Goomliath yelled. "3-D pwns 2-D, and there's nothin' you can do about that!"  
Mario gritted his teeth and gripped his hammer tightly. "Just hit me already!!"

Goomliath twisted his body around and flung the GCN controller in a horizontal swing.  
The swing was so fast that Mario could only guess where it was coming from. He ducked down and blindly swung his hammer in what he thought was the right direction...  
_SHHRIP!_

The entire crowd gasped loudly.  
Mario looked at Goomliath, who looked completely dumbfounded.  
He then looked at the chord...  
Cut right in two!  
The actual controller part had flown several yards away, leaving Goomliath with only a piece of useless wire.  
Mario approached the frightened Goomba slowly. Standing tall, he looked down upon his rival, and held the hammer-crown weapon to his rival's face.  
"Surrender?" Mario asked quietly.  
After a long silence, Goomliath finally looked down in shame. "I surrender..."

Mario smiled, nodded, and took the hammer away.

He then took a few steps back, and threw his hands in the air, indicating that he had victory.  
The crowd went absolutely wild.  
Myagi gasped over the loudspeaker. "Goodness gracious! What a day! Mario Party 8 is now the first team ever to beat champion Goomliath! Oh my, what joy! Mario Party 8, congratulations! You win relic trophy!"

Not a minute later, Myagi walked through the arena doors, holding a large trophy. Mounted on top was what they'd all been looking for - the glittering pair of yellow lips.  
Myagi handed the trophy to Mario and bowed in respect.  
Mario graciously returned the bow, then held the trophy high over his head.

_**You got the Yellow Rainbow Relic! Also known as The Lips of Love!  
**_

Mario then turned to Goomliath. "No hard feelings?"  
"Naw..." he answered with a smile. "Being the champ for so long felt kinda empty. I think I need a bit more challenge in my life. Maybe not being the champ anymore won't be so bad!"  
"Well actually, you're kinda still champion, since we have to leave now."  
"Really? Oh... damn."  
The crowd applauded as Mario Party 8 exited the arena, tired and beaten, but happy.

Mario and co walked out of the colosseum through the main doors, back out to the Plains of Eden. Sitting on a nearby bench was Vivian.  
Mario walked up to her slowly. "Umm... Vivian?"  
She didn't answer.  
Mario held up the trophy for her to see. "...We got the Lips of Love... The Rainbow Relic."

Vivian looked up to see the trophy. Mario could see her cheeks were wet with tears. However, seeing the Rainbow Relic seemed to make her feel a little better. "Oh..." she sniffed. "That's great. How was the battle with the champion?"  
"Pretty tough," Verdugo said. "That stupid Goomba sure knows how to smack a guy with a GCN controller. I always knew those things were deadly!"  
Vivian laughed a little, but she was still clearly very sad...

Not long after, Mario Party 9 was called back into the Ninja Dome for a short while, to stay for a small ceremony was held in the honor of Floppy the Cheep-Cheep, the one who had died that horrible death.  
Mario and co watched from the stands. It was hard for everyone to watch, especially for Vivian. She was hardly able to control her tears as Myagi described and mourned over the death of one of his most respected veteran fighters...

* * *

Parakarry's wings were getting sore. He'd been flying around the massive island of Morteva for nearly an entire day now, and he still saw no sign of Vivian or her party. With each passing second, he grew more and more worried.  
Had Grodus already found them?  
Had Bowser already made off with Peach?  
Even of all these frightening questions, there was one that just would not leave the surface of his mind...

Vivian...  
Was she safe? Was she still undiscovered by Grodus?  
...Or had Grodus already found and slaughtered her with hideous cruelty?  
Grodus's threat... He had threatened that if he did kill Vivian, he would make certain that Parakarry would not only know about it, but that he would surely see her dead body. The thought gave him chills.  
He also would occasionally remember the very reason he was there in Morteva looking for Vivian the first place. He needed to apologize to her. He had lost the Elation boarding pass that he was supposed to deliver to Bobbery. He remembered the night when it happened...

He'd gone to Keelhaul Key to look for Bobbery there, but was told by the local sailors that Bobbery had already set sail on a voyage to the Beanbean Kingdom to deliver some inconsequential kind of cargo. Knowing the direction to Beanbean Kingdom, Parakarry began to fly over the ocean in search of the boat. This was very risky, for most winged animals such as himself would never dare fly over an ocean, lest they lose the energy in their wings and plummet into the churning sea. But... this was a delivery for Vivian, the sweetest girl in the world, so Parakarry was willing to take that risk. After nearly an hour of flying, he then caught sight of a ship on the horizon. Bobbery's? Thinking is was a logical assumption, Parakarry began to advance towards it. However, as he did, a sudden hurricane gale blew at him with great force. He was barely able to control his flight pattern, and his mailbag suddenly slipped from his shoulder. He managed to reach down and grab it, but the lone slip of paper within - Bobbery's Elation pass - fell out. In a fit of anxiety, Parakarry tried to snatch it from the wind's pull. However, the wind won, and the boarding pass blew from sight until it disappeared into oblivion...

Parakarry couldn't forgive himself. Being a postman, it was natural for him to feel like a failure if he lost but a single letter. But this delivery had been so important. He could only imagine how Vivian felt, going on this fantastic trip to a foreign exotic land, without one of her friends who'd once stood by her side in the face of great danger...  
Mario, too, must've been sad, and Parakarry knew he could never thank Mario enough for all he'd done for him.  
He needed to apologize, and that was that. All he could do was keep flying, keep searching, and hope they were all still alright...

"Umm... excuse me?" a voice called out.  
Parakarry turned around and saw some huge rock flying at him. "Sweet mother of mercy! What in the heck-??"  
The huge rock turned out to be some sort of floating stone head, like a sculpture of some sort. The face looked somewhat blocky and distorted, but probably could've been handsome if it was made of flesh and skin as opposed to rock, albeit a bit overweight.  
"Sorry for startling you," said the rock head dude. "But if you don't mind me asking, are you lost?"  
"Uh, umm... I beg yer pardon?" Parakarry asked, who was still shocked by the sight of a big, talking, floating stone head.  
"Well, it just seems like you've been flying around this whole island looking for something for the past day or so..."  
Parakarry gawked. "What in tarnation? Were you followin' me or somethin'? Who are you anyway??"

The stone head grimaced. "Doh, sorry. I forgot to introduce myself again... Hi, I'm Zanthir, the Earth God! Rock and Soil Protec-... Um, I mean, Protector of the Soil and... Gah! Never mind... Look, the point is, I haven't been following you. I've just been floating around the island's skies doing my usual 'Earth God' business, and I happened to see you quite a few times, just flying and looking at the ground. So, I just decided I oughta ask you if you're lost or something so I could maybe help you."  
Parakarry was now feeling a bit better about this Earth God 'Zanthir' guy. He actually seemed really nice and respectable, if not a bit shy. "Oh, well thank you Zanthir, but I ain't lost. I just been looking for someone..."  
"Really? Who?"  
"Oh, just some lass named Vivian. You bein' a God an all, I don't think you'd know her, but-"  
"Vivian??"

Zanthir's eyes opened up at the sound of the name. "Vivian... of course I know her! She's the world's hero!"  
"Uh... Pardon me?' Parakarry asked.  
"Yeah! She's the one that beat the X-nauts when they tried to invade earth! I saw it with my own eyes! And now, in order to prevent another invasion, she's searching for the Rainbow Relics to bring The Rainbow back and protect the world from outside forces!"  
"Oh... I see..." Parakarry replied, confused. "So, I guess Vivian's a pretty big celebrity up there in the Gods' hangout, eh?"  
Zanthir looked down. "Weeelll... no, not really. I'm kind of the guy everybody make fun of, you know? When I was praising Vivian's name, everyone just turned in into a joke, even though I was dead serious. The only one that believed any of what I said was Reinus, King of the Gods..."  
"Ah..." Parakarry said.

Parakarry then reached into his mailbag. "Say, you said they were looking for 'Rainbow Relics' or somethin'?"  
"Yup," said Zanthir. "Why?"  
"Well..." answered Parakarry, pulling something out of his bag, "Could this be one of 'em?"  
From his mailbag, Parakarry pulled out a beautiful, indigo-colored stone that looked to be carved into the shape of a nose.  
When Zanthir saw it, his eyes narrowed and he gave what appeared to be an almost wicked smirk. His eyes seemed to reflect the stone's shininess, which was odd because Zanthir's eyes were made of stone and weren't reflective at all...  
Parakarry noticed the odd look Zanthir was giving the stone and quickly put it away. "So, uh... is it one of 'em?"

Zanthir then snapped out of it. "Umm, yeah! I mean, uhh... it sure looks like it could be."  
He then looked at Parakarry seriously. "Where did you find that...?"  
"Err, I believe it was in some swamp or somethin'," Parakarry recalled. "Not sure why I decided to look for Vivian there, but I did. Ended up helping some huge frog thing by goin' into his belly and beatin' up some evil germ called Squeamula. After I did that, he coughed up this goofy nose-shaped stone and said I could have it! Weird, I know."  
"Indeed," Zanthir answered. "So... why were you looking for Vivian again?"  
"Oh, I gotta apologize to her for losing an Elation boarding pass that I was supposed to give to her friend Bobbery. Poor girl must be so sad about that..."  
Zanthir's eye then twitched and he slowly turned to Parakarry. "You... LOST that?!"  
Parakarry jumped back, surprised. "What?! What do you mean!?"

Zanthir quickly got over whatever it was he was tripping about. "Nothing! Listen, you should really get that Rainbow Relic to Vivian. She's looking for it."  
Parakarry then had an idea. "Know what? If you ain't too busy, why don't we look together?"  
Zanthir then looked at the bag that held the Rainbow Relic. "Sure! ...Or you know what else? How about you let me take the Relic and we can look separately! We'll cover more ground that way. If one of us finds her, we can notify the other..."  
"I guess that could work," Parakarry thought.

Parakarry looked at the Rainbow Relic in his bag and thought about it a bit. This whole trip had just been difficult decisions from start to finish. First the choice concerning whether or not to join Grodus, Bowser and Crump, and now this...  
Parakarry finally shook his head in disagreement to Zanthir's deal. "Naw, I still think we should look together. I reckon it'll save us a lot of trouble, and searching around this big island does get a bit lonely, ya know?"  
"Um, yeah. OK..." said Zanthir, a hint of disappointment in his voice. "Well, I guess it would suffice to say that Mario and his party are staying in the Heaven's Bell resort on the island's southern coast. Room 13."  
Parakarry lit up. "Oh, really?! Excellent! Let's go there then! Right now!"  
"Oh, but umm... Parakarry," Zanthir interrupted. "They're probably not there right now. You know, they're on this big quest for the Rainbow Relics and all..."  
"But still," Parakarry said. "They go there to sleep, right? Let's go there right now and wait for 'em!"  
"Ehh... I suppose. But I still think we should make some kind of effort to actually look, at least for the moment. Just to maybe find them sooner, you know?"  
"I guess..." Parakarry said. He then laughed. "Heh, you seem pretty eager to get movin'! You must really like Vivian a lot, eh?"  
Zanthir chuckled. "I just wanna get that Rainbow Relic to her as fast as possible. She IS looking for it..."  
"Yeah, OK. Anyway, let's get lookin' I guess. Reckon we should start headin' towards the Heaven's Bell tonight at about 9 or so tonight. We'll be sure to catch 'em that way!"  
"Sounds good to me!" Zanthir exclaimed. "Let's go!"

As the two began to fly again, Parakarry wondered. "Ey Zanthir... Assuming you're a busy God and all, how'd you know where Vivian and her party were stayin'?"  
Zanthir didn't answer.  
In his mind, though, he knew the answer...  
_"Because I'm the one that gave them the key to their room..."  
_


	7. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

**- The Only Thing to Fear... -**

"Sooo... This is the place then?" asked Goombella, examining the new symbol on the Map.  
"I think so..." Mario answered.

Shortly after the gang had left the Ninja Dome with the Yellow Lips of Love, the Crystal Ball and the Map did their usual 'dance', thereby printing the location of the next Rainbow Relic.  
This new black symbol looked like a pair of feet, and was located on an odd area of the Map that was of a much darker shade than all the rest. The name of the area, as shown on the Map, was Darkshade Woods.

And here they were, standing at the harrowing entrance to the woods. Their only welcome was a crude wooden sign with the words 'Darkshade Woods' painted in red letters. It seemed like whoever made and placed that sign did so in quite a hurry.  
"Goddamn..." Verdugo whispered. "Look at that. The light just com-_pletely_ disappears like, a couple ten yards into there."  
"Creepy..." Koops said. "I don't know about this, guys. Dark forests aren't exactly my bag."  
"Well, it suits me OK," Vivian said. "I kind of like the dark..."  
"Me too!" exclaimed Ms Mowz. "Let's go already!"

Barely a minute after entering the woods, the sunlight had all but abandoned the nine travelers. The tall trees blocked it all out, and they were trapped under a veil of darkness that seemed to swallow them whole. Trees and shrubs became visible only when they were a foot away. It eventually came to Vivian to ignite a candle-sized flame on her thumb that everyone could use as a guide, but unfortunately, they still had no idea where they were going. As the group traveled deeper and deeper into the woods, their surroundings became increasingly odd.

First came the tree trunks. Many of them were coated in a crusty red substance that had long since dried up, or so it seemed in the light of Vivian's flame. Only a few were noticed at first, but the number of red-coated trees increased as they walked.

Next came the smell. The forest had the unpleasant stench of dead wood the whole way through, but over time, the smell had become something far worse. This stench flew up their nostrils and filled everyone with both disgust and fear, for it seemed to them all that it was none other than the smell of rotting flesh...

Next came the odd twig formations dangling in the trees. Twigs tied into odd shapes with rope were hung from the low tree branches. In the darkness, they may have even resembled men hanging helplessly by there ankles, completely motionless, swinging only by the aid of the haunting breeze that blew from deeper within the woods...

Peach suddenly stopped right in the middle of a small clearing that all of them were barely able to fit in. About four or five of those creepy stick formations hung directly above them. The surrounding trees were also coated in the mysterious, dry red liquid.  
"Peach dear, why have you stopped?" Flurrie asked.  
"Honestly!" Bobbery scoffed. "If you don't mind, I'm frightened out of my wits and I'd like to keep moving, thank you!"  
"I'm sorry everybody," Peach apologized. "But I just remembered something - The Poem! We didn't read the new poem verse that was added by the Lips of Love! Maybe we should read it!"

Goombella protested. "Oh no! Ooooooh no! No way! That poem is ALREADY too scary! There is NO way I'm gonna let you read that freaky poem in this freaky forest with a bunch of freaky stick things hanging above us! It's gonna traumatize me! Really!" She ran over to Mario and stood behind his legs. "Don't let her read it, Mario! I'm scared!"  
Mario could see what Goombella was saying, and he somewhat agreed. It seemed like most of them did. "Err... yeah. Vivian, why don't you put out that light so Peach can't read it..."  
"No Vivian, keep it on!" Peach argued, "I think we _should _read it!'  
"I'm actually kinda curious about the poem myself..." Vivian replied, carefully moving her thumb close to the paper so Peach could maybe see it.

Once everyone else realized what was happening, they immediately prepared to make some move to put a stop to it...  
But once Peach began to reading, all was silent, and all was motionless.  
Despite the fact that they all believed that this was a terrible place to read such a haunting poem...  
In reality, way deep down, they all wanted to hear the rest as well.  
They needed to...  
And so, without further objections, they all simply listened as Peach recited the poem in a quiet voice...

_**Protector of the Sky  
Grounded by the eye  
Of the ever-growing beast  
Which the light is its feast...**_**  
**

**_Born from dark hearts  
We seize the Gods' Arts  
We live to see die  
The Protector of the Sky..._**

**_Crooks, rogues and thieves  
Plague a town by the sea,  
This dark and shadowed war,  
A baby girl, it bore..._**

**_A land of toadstools  
Where a monarchy rules  
And where kings kill for joy  
And spawn an infant boy..._**

**_When a gent loves a lass  
Overseas they may pass,  
And when together in love,  
May the world drown in blood..._**

Silence.  
Only the sound of the wicked breeze and the faint creaking of the harrowing stick dolls hanging overhead.

Goombella finally spoke. "Great. Just great. It just HAD to be the freakiest poem installment yet! Oh... I'm gonna have nightmares, I know it! Omigosh, WHY did I let you read that?!"  
"Well, if I had to guess..." Koops said, "I'd say that the aforementioned 'girl' and 'boy' actually met overseas and fell in love at some point..."  
"Makes sense," said Mario. "Still not enough to explain exactly why this crystal ball seems so intent on telling us more of this poem every time we get a friggin' Rainbow Relic..."  
"Well, I hope you two are happy," Verdugo snapped, looking at Peach and Vivian.  
"Aw, c'mon!" Peach said. "You weren't SCARED, were you?"  
Verdugo crossed his arms. "No way! I wasn't scared!"  
"Well," Vivian said silently. "We should get going, then..." She herself was a little shaken. Maybe she should've just waited until later to hear the rest of the poem...

Another fifteen minutes or so of walking through the freakish woods, and the trees finally split and a large clearing opened up before them...  
And standing within it was a huge statue of a woman. Upon closer inspection, she seemed to have the features of a witch.  
But what startled everyone was most was the fact that the sky looked as though it could've been midnight...  
What? But they had entered Darkshade Woods at only about 4 in the afternoon, when the sun was still shining. And they'd only been walking for about 45 minutes.  
Strange...

Mario approached the statue and looked up at it. The woman stood in a formal pose, her hands together at her chest. Her eyes just screamed evilness.  
Mario read the letters at the base of the statue...

**Bansha**

_May her wicked soul forever be banished beneath this tomb_

Intrigued, Mario circled around the base of the tombstone (for it was now clear that's what it was), and found what appeared to be a stone door. He reached for the handle, and pulled.  
But nothing happened.  
"Hmm... must just be for show," Mario said aloud.

Flurrie had been nearby and had seen Mario try to open the 'door'. She floated over and pushed the door instead.  
It swung open.  
Mario grumbled and Flurrie chuckled.

The gang gathered around the door at the base of the tomb. Peaking in, it lead only to a black pit. The pit itself was far too dark to tell exactly how deep it was or where it went...  
"Where do you think it goes to?" Ms Mowz wondered.  
"I haven't the faintest idea," Bobbery said. "Would you like the honor of finding out for us?"  
Ms Mowz put her hands on her hips. "Well I never!"  
"My 'Rainbow Relic' senses are tingling!" Mario joked. "But seriously, somebody's gotta go first..."

Vivian leaned over the gaping pit and lit her thumb aflame. He carefully leaned over the edge and lowered her arm down into pit, hoping maybe to get any idea at all of how deep it was. However, when she did, a cold breeze from within the hole caused the flame to flicker out. "Oh... dangit" she muttered, snapping her fingers in attempt to reignite the flame.  
"Yo Vivian!" Verdugo shouted. "Why don't you just do that crazy ass fire thing you did back at the Ninja Dome? That was AWESOME!"  
Vivian immediately stopped snapping her fingers. She then turned away and pulled her hat down further over her face.

Koops nudged Verdugo roughly, urging him to be quiet.

Flurrie then floated close to the hole. "What on earth is down there...?" she asked.  
Mario put his finger to his lips, insisting that everyone be silent. He then crept up behind Flurrie... and shoved her into the pit!  
Everyone gasped! But, they were reassured when Flurrie was actually just floating over the pit.  
"Mario! What in blazes was THAT for? Did you by chance forget that I float?!"  
Mario tried to hold in his laughter and disappointment. "Yeah, for a second I did..."  
Flurrie looked at him for a long time. She finally scoffed and said, "Well fine, if you all want me to go down there into that pit that leads to goodness-knows-where, then so be it!"  
"Be sure to bring back a souvenir!" Bobbery cracked  
Flurrie grunted once more before carefully and methodically lowering herself into the pitch dark hole...

Going down the hole was tough, seeing as her large body was barely able to fit. However, not long after working herself down a ways, the narrow passage finally opened up into what felt like a large underground chamber. It was far too dark to see anything, but she had a hunch that she probably wouldn't want to.  
A feeling then swept over her. A frightening feeling. A feeling that she was being watched...  
Like there something in this darkness that she couldn't see, but it could see her...  
Her thoughts were interrupted by the echoing shouts of her friends above.

_"Hey Flurrie! You alright down there?!"  
"Find any zombies?!"  
"Did you get stuck in the hole?!"  
"You dead yet?!"  
_  
Flurrie called back up to her friends. "Everyone! I've reached the bottom! The passage opened up into some sort of underground room!"  
"_What's in there?!" _Goombella shouted. They had to shout in order to hear each other.  
"I... I don't know! It's too dark to see!"  
_"Is it a crypt, perhaps?!" _Ms Mowz asked.  
"Well, I certainly hope not!" Flurrie answered, angry that they were making her more nervous.  
_"How deep's the passage?!" _Peach asked.  
"Umm... I'm guessing maybe thirty feet or so!"  
_"Thirty feet! That's it?! w00t! Move out the way!" _

A few seconds later Flurrie was startled by the sound of someone heavy landing next to her.

"W-who's there?" Flurrie stammered.  
"It's-a me! Mario!" Mario joked.  
"Oh, Mario... Thank goodness."  
"No problem. Though, I think that drop is a lot higher than you said. Jumpin' thirty feet is like nothing to me, but... I think that fall broke both my legs. I'm dying, Flurrie. I'm dying..."  
"Oh no, Mario dear! I'm sorry! Please don't die!"  
"Haha! Just kiddin' ya, Flurrie!"  
Flurrie groaned in annoyance, but she was still happy. "Oh, you jester, you..."  
Mario chuckled again. He then called up to the rest. "Hey everyone! Come on down! Vivian, use your tail to help the smaller guys of the bunch!"  
_"OK Mario!" _they all answered.

Koops and Bobbery were tough enough to endure the fall on their own.  
Ms Mowz crawled down the wall of the passage in true thieving fashion.  
Vivian took Goombella in one arm and Verdugo in the other, then use her tail to slowly lower them all into the pit.  
The only one left was Peach. Vivian used her thumb flame to illuminate a small area in the chamber, and Mario stood at the base of the hole, ordering for Peach to jump. It took some coaxing, but she finally did, and Mario gracefully caught her mid-fall.

Once they were all huddled in the mysterious room, Vivian increased the size of her flame. She then began to float slowly around the room, shining her flame on everything she saw. What an odd room it was...

There was a guillotine, an open coffin filled with huge spikes, at least a dozen nooses, and many other devices of death and torture... all coated in dry blood.  
What on earth had happened in here? Who had used all these horrible devices?  
Their question was soon answered when Vivian's flame settled on a sickening sight.

Sprawled across a blood-drenched table, was a skeleton in a black dress with long brown hair.  
Vivian jumped back in surprise and fear when she saw it, almost putting out the flame, but she quickly recovered and began to study the skeleton.  
"Could this... be that Bansha person?" she wondered.  
"Might be," said Goombella, advancing to study the skeleton as well. "But that makes no sense. The dirt layers on her bones imply that she's been dead for like, ever. But... her hair should've fallen off her scalp years ago. But look it. It's still so thick and full, like she was never dead..."

Mario then noticed something. "Hey look! She's holding something!"  
Indeed, the corpse of Bansha had her hands resting on something on her chest. Whatever it was, it was concealed by a loincloth. Thinking maybe they could get an idea of what it was, Mario began to look at it from all different angles, hoping maybe the loincloth wasn't covering it up in just one little spot...

He then found an opening in the cloth.  
He looked closer...  
And saw in the light of Vivian's mellow flame, a flicker of green light.  
He gasped. "The Rainbow Relic! She's got the green Rainbow Relic in her hands!"

Everyone's surprise overcame their fear and they ran over to see. They all saw what Mario did... that green glow. There was no mistaking it. Bansha held the Rainbow Relic in her dead hands.  
"Alright! Let's nab it!" Verdugo exclaimed.  
"NO!" Peach cried. "Haven't you ever heard any ghost stories?! You never take anything from a corpse's hands!"  
"Well, we've got to get it SOMEhow..." Mario said.

He started to reach for the Rainbow Relic, but eventually stopped and dropped his hands down by his sides. "I say we search this room a little bit... Maybe we can find out a little bit more about this woman. Maybe even find a good way to get out of here with the Rainbow Relic without her trying to eat us or something..."  
No one was sure what it was they might find, but they still agreed with Mario anyway.

Vivian snapped her fingers sharply and created the biggest flame she could, but it still was hardly bigger than an alcohol burner flame. "We might need more light..." she said. "Hey Goombella? Does that light on your helmet actually work?"  
"No..." she said, embarrassed. "It's mostly for show. I only wear it to class so I look like a determined archeologist."  
"Whoa..." Mario said. "You actually wear that thing to school?"  
"Umm... yeah, I just said that."  
In his head, Mario was howling in laughter.

Using Vivian's light source, they all circled the room and examined the various devices of torture and execution, though no one dared get too close, let alone touch them. The fact that they were all caked in dry blood didn't help either...

Verdugo suddenly jumped in excitement. "Hey! C'mere guys! I found something!"  
Everyone walked over quickly and quietly, curious about what Verdugo he found. He triumphantly held up a small stack of papers, bound together by a paper clip. The document didn't seem to have a title.  
"Looks to be some memoir of Bansha's..." Bobbery thought.  
"Should we read it?" asked Verdugo.  
"No! No way!" Mario protested. "Remember what happened when we read Ghost T's diary in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door? Oh, what's that? You forgot? Well, let me remind you... GAME OVER!!"  
"But that was just a game, Mario," Goombella reasoned. "This is real life. It might be different. Who knows?"  
"I say we read it!" Verdugo exclaimed. "It might tell us how we can get the Rainbow Relic out of the hands of her freakish corpse!"

Everyone then looked back over at Bansha's body, which was still clutching the wrapped up Relic that rested on her bosom.  
Mario nodded. "Alright Verdugo. Go ahead and read it to us."  
"Cool!" Verdugo cried. "Vivian! Light please!"  
Vivian held her thumb close to the paper and allowed Verdugo to read. He cleared his throat and began...

--

_Oh, my beautiful, long brown hair... Life's been tough since I came to live a quiet, more reclusive life in the forest on the east side of Morteva, but it's still worth it as long as I have all my accessories... Now I can pamper my hair all day and all night as I please!_

_Call me a hermit, or a mole, or whatever you wish, but I've dug myself an underground chamber where I can live in peace until the end of my days. I'm not sure if the dank underground air will be good for my hair, but I don't mind caring for it a bit more than usual to keep it nice! I sometimes wonder if anything exciting may happen to me while I'm living here..._

_Well, I've spent been a year in the forest, and I must admit that city life is a bit more entertaining. However, I regret my decision not. The forest is a beautiful place to make my living! I do still wonder, however, if anything exciting may happen to me..._

_What a strange day... I was outside brushing my hair when The Rainbow that has shined aloft in the sky since as long as I can remember simply vanished into the air. Never had a day or night gone by that I hadn't seen The Rainbow shining up there in the Heavens, and in but a single second, it has now gone... Is this natural? Perhaps, but part of me still doesn't think so..._

_The sky's grown dark the past few days. It is no longer much fun to stand outside and brush my hair... I took a short walk to the city, but I preferred to stay beyond the city limits and watch from afar. There seemed to be quite an uproar going on there. Something frightening is happening in our world. But what? I suppose it's no concern of mine. As long as I can continue to live peacefully in the forest and care for my hair, I needn't concern myself with the matters of the outside world..._

_I was out for a walk in the woods when a strange couple approached me today. The woman's hair was long and black, and her eyes shown a deep shade of violet. The man was tall and had jet black hair, and even blacker eyes. I asked them who they were, but they didn't answer me. The woman merely shoved a strange-looking statue into my hands. "Hide this in your underground home, and don't ever let anyone find it," she ordered. The man then said "Just do as we say and ask no questions!" I looked down at the figure in my hands - a shiny green pair of feet. I then looked up to perhaps say something to this mysterious couple, but by the time I did, they were already gone..._

_This relic... it seems to possess amazing power. I just feel so entranced by its beauty... I shall keep it in my home forever. I have no idea who that mysterious couple was, but I thank them for this gift. Reinus forbid anyone try to take it from me..._

_What a scary night... A man snuck into my home last night and tried to steal my treasure. Determined to stop him, I tied some spare rope around his neck and used all my strength to hang him by his neck until he breathed no more. Amazing... Was this relic giving me strength? Or had I been so protective of it that my adrenaline made me kill the thief when he tried to take it away? In either case, killing the man felt... good. Curse him for trying to take my treasure. Curse him..._

_More and more people come now at night and try to steal my treasure. I don't understand. What does it mean to them? It can't possibly mean as much to them as it does to me. Why must they try to steal it? I must build more equipment that I can use to slaughter anyone who enters my home. More... Blades, coffins, nooses... Yes, lots of nooses. They are my favorites! Kill them all... Kill those who threaten to steal my treasure!_

_Many dead now... Many, many dead... My home is heavy with the scent of blood... I even spread the blood of my victims on the tree trunks to keep people away... And if that isn't enough, I use their bones to make frightening dolls that hang from the trees. My treasure... They shall never have it. Never. My hair. My beautiful hair... It is shaggy and coarse. I have no water to run it through to make it straight and pretty again. But blood... There's much blood... This puddle on the ground, right beside me. Yes... Must make my hair straight and pretty again..._

_--_

The bottom of the page was dotted with a few dry red splotches. Despite this, Verdugo continued reading...

--

_I woke up this morning and found the exit to my home was blocked. A large stone. The ladder leading out of the pit is gone, too. Someone did it while I slept. Someone angry. Perhaps many angry people. They want me dead... But why? I only killed those who were after my beautiful green treasure. I thank that mysterious couple even to this day... But why must I die down here? Even now, I feel myself suffocating in the thick scent of blood... My hair. My beautiful hair... all straight and pretty now. All I can do now is lay myself down, holding my treasure in my hands as I die. As long as I always feel it in my hands, I can sleep in peace..._

_--  
_

That was all there was. Verdugo set the paper down and everyone was silent.  
"Wow... freaky..." Koops muttered.

"Well, according to that last paragraph..." Mario said quietly, "As long as she can feel the Rainbow Relic in her hands, she can sleep in peace... That tells me that maybe we can replace the Relic with something of the same size, and maybe her spirit, or whatever, won't notice..."  
"I suppose..." Peach said. "But I'm still intrigued. Who could be this couple that gave Bansha the Rainbow Relic in the first place?"  
"Well..." though Ms Mowz, "We did just read about a couple that fell in love in that poem. I sense a connection, but I can't be sure..."  
"In any case," said Mario, "I have an idea of what we can use to replace the Rainbow Relic. Once that's done, we can have Flurrie and Vivian help us all out of here, OK? OK, let's get going..."

About five minutes later, the door at the base of Bansha's tombstone opened up, and out came each member of the party, one by one. Mario was helped out last, who held the Rainbow Relic in his hands, but by the same token, was without any shoes. C:  
The nine walked quickly out of Darkshade Woods, eager to get out and move on with their adventure. They were also eager to see what new symbol and poem verse the Crystal Ball might print on the Map this time...?

* * *

Reinus paced back and forth in his throne room, stroking his mustache. He hadn't seen Mario and his party since he'd last checked up on them after they'd gotten the Red Hands of Friendship. He began to wonder if maybe he shouldn't have put his trust in these mere earth beings.  
Sure they already had found one Rainbow Relic already, last he checked...  
And sure, they had defeated the X-nauts, or so Zanthir had said...  
But still... They were looking for The Rainbow Relics, ancient artifacts that contained the fatherly power of the Gods themselves! Was it really worth it to put such treasures in the care of these people merely because of a single attempted alien invasion? These 'X-nauts' didn't seem like they would've been much of a threat anyway...

After much self-debating, Reinus then came to a conclusion - if he could somehow just find a way to see how much progress Mario and his team were making in their search, he would decide whether or not to permit them to continue or to abort the quest entirely. Last he checked, they had found one. If by this point, they had found at least, say... three, then he would deem them trustworthy. Wondering how he might do this, Reinus called for Yama.  
"Yama!"

Yama came flying in as quickly as he could. "What is it ma'am, umm... ma'am, I mean ma'am? Sir? Ma'am sir?"  
"Please!" Reinus ordered, raising his hand. "Have you been surveying Mario and his team on their quest for the Rainbow Relics?"  
"Umm... in my free time, yes," Yama explained.  
"How are they doing?"  
"Well, last I saw, they had just won the yellow Rainbow Relic, the Lips of Love, from the Ninja Dome. You remember the Lips of Love, right?"  
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," Reinus said, recalling the days of The Rainbow so long ago. "Please, continue."  
"Ah, right," Yama said. "Yes, I was in the audience watching the fights, and I saw that Vivian chick totally go crazy on some poor Cheep-Cheep. Seemed like a pretty big deal... But anyway, that's not important. They ended up beating the champion Goomliath and winning the trophy, which had the Lips of Love attached. At that point, it looked like they were also carrying the Hands of Friendship and the Ears of Trust. Along with the Lips of Love, that's three so far. I'm not sure if they've found anymore since, but I'm still impressed. We couldn't find the Rainbow Relics in 1,000 years, and Mario and co have already found at least three in two days!"  
"Don't forget Yama, it wasn't a priority of ours to find the Relics. It has only become an urgent matter as of late due to the attempted X-naut invasion, as Zanthir claims."  
"Ah, yes sir," Yama quickly replied.

"Well then," Reinus said, "Very good. I shall allow Mario and his friends to continue the quest. At this rate, we may have The Rainbow back in the sky in no time! Yama, I ask of you to survey Mario and his friends closely. With every Rainbow Relic they find, report to me at once."  
"Yes ma'am!"  
"Ugh... Just go please."  
And so Yama turned around and began to head out the room. But Reinus quickly stopped him.

"Wait, Yama!"  
"Yes?" Yama asked, turning back around.  
"...Do you, by chance, know where Uber is?"  
Yama looked puzzled. "Ehh... Nope, haven't seen him in a while, chief. Told me a while ago he was going on one of his 'Inspirational Trips' through the clouds. Haven't seen him since... "  
Reinus groaned. "Ugh... What inspiration does that guy need?! New ideas on how to give people Atomic Wedgies?!"  
"I would think so, sir. Seems to me like he's got a pretty big project in the works..."  
Reinus sat back up. "Very well. Please get on with your job, Yama."  
"Very well ma'am... I mean sir, I mean..."  
"Go!"  
Yama nodded and quickly flew out of the room.

Reinus sat back in his throne and thought hard. What was it that Yama had said about Vivian? That she had gone crazy on some Cheep-Cheep? Could that perhaps mean... she killed him?  
His eyes narrowed at the thought.

Vivian... She was a Shadow Siren... He knew that kind was no good since he'd first seen the species evolve 1,000 years ago. The first ones he'd ever seen, he remembered, had been a couple. A male and a female, holding hands, making mischief together...  
Could this Vivian be related to them?  
If so, he would certainly have to keep a close eye on her, for he knew that the two Shadow Sirens he'd seen so long ago were somehow connected with the disappearance of The Rainbow...

"Reinus! Reinus!" cried a familiar voice from beyond the door.  
Reinus looked up, surprised. "Um, uhh... C-come in!"  
The door flew open, and in floated an old friend - Zanthir. And he seemed to have brought a friend along as well. A Paratroopa that carried a mailbag. He was panting and sweating as though the flight up there had been too much for him.

"Zanthir!" Reinus exclaimed happily. "I thought you were out on business!"  
"I was, sir!" Zanthir exclaimed. "However, I've stumbled across something even more urgent. Reinus, I'd like you to meet Parakarry. Parakarry, this is Reinus, King of the Gods!"  
Parakarry, who was still exhausted, looked up at Reinus. He tried to smile. "H-howdy there, Reinus. It's an... honor ta... m-meet ya..."  
Reinus laughed. "Ho ho, don't go exhausting yourself, Mr Parakarry! It's alright. Flying all the way up here must be quite taxing for a Paratroopa such as yourself!"  
"T-tell me about it..." gasped Parakarry, who chose to sit down.

Reinus then turned to Zanthir. "Now then, what's this urgent business you speak of, Zanthir?"  
"Ah yes," Zanthir exclaimed. "You see, in the middle of my business, I ran into Parakarry here. He claimed to be looking for Vivian, who as you know is of Mario's party, so he could apologize to her about losing Bobbery's Elation boarding pass..."  
It was noticed Zanthir flashed a very nasty look at Parakarry before continuing.  
"But anyway, when I met Parakarry, he was holding this..."

Zanthir motioned for Parakarry's mailbag, asking him to remove its contents. Parakarry nodded, and silently removed the sparkling indigo stone carved in the shape of a nose.  
Reinus stared at it in absolute awe. "Oh my goodness! Parakarry, you found the Nose of Knowledge?"  
Parakarry chuckled between breaths. "Hehe... is that... what they call it?"  
"Why certainly!" Reinus exclaimed. "What excellent timing for you to be looking for Vivian! She and her team are looking for stones such as those! The Rainbow Relics!"  
"Yeah, yeah..." Parakarry said. "Heard it all from Zanthir. Just another reason why we gotta find 'em!"  
"Indeed," said an excited Reinus. "Oh my, at this rate, the Rainbow Relics will be collected in no time at all!"

Reinus then got a suspicious look on his face. "Excuse me Parakarry, but if you don't mind me asking... Where did you find the Nose of Knowledge?"  
Parakarry was feeling much more energetic now. "Well, in my search for Vivian, I wound up in this swamp where I met this big ol' frog thing. He said he was sick and asked if I could go in his belly and help him out. So I did, and I beat up that germ in him called Squeamula or somethin'... and then when I did, he coughed up this stone!"  
"Marinu, the Water God..." Reinus whispered to himself. "Marinu had the Nose of Knowledge in his gut all these years? He's a God, for goodness sake! Why didn't he tell me?!"  
"I dunno..." Parakarry said, crossing his arms. "Fella said he'd been sick fer the past thousand years."  
Reinus groaned. "Goodness gracious, whoever hid these Relics really wanted them hidden well..."  
He then sat up. "Zanthir! Parakarry! In addition to getting the Nose of Knowledge to Mario and his party as fast as possible, I also demand you pay Marinu another visit and ask him precisely how it is he ingested this Rainbow Relic 1,000 years ago. Do I make myself clear?"  
"Crystal clear!" exclaimed Zanthir.  
"Can do!" said Parakarry.

Reinus smiled. "Very well then, please be off!"

* * *

Doopliss had done nothing all day. From the moment he awoke early that morning, he'd felt too weak to rise from bed. He simply laid there like a lump all day, sobbing.

"She loves Atlan... She'll never love me..."

Wiping away the thousandth tear to drip from his eye that day, Doopliss began to wonder if maybe getting Atlan to stand her up wasn't such a bad idea after all. Maybe if he could somehow make Vivian really just forget about him... Make Atlan out to seem like the biggest jerk in the world. Yeah!  
But Doopliss then stopped himself.

"No...Whether Atlan's in the picture or not, Vivian hates me. She's hated me ever since we first met and fought over that Crystal Star..."

He then began to sob heavily.

"Atlan's all I have... Atlan's the only chance I'll ever have. Without him, I'd never be able to hold Vivian in my arms... I'd never be able to caress her... Talk to her... Kiss her..."

But Doopliss did another double take and slapped himself in the face. Hard. Harder than he'd planned. Damn, he really was frustrated with himself.

"No Doopliss! Atlan isn't REAL!! You're living a lie! You're making Vivian fall in love with a LIE!! That's not what you want for her! You want her to be happy, dammit! Maybe little white lies can make a person feel better sometimes, but this... This is no little white lie! This is love..."

Doopliss finally got the strength to sit up. He brushed himself off, jumped off the bed, and walked up to the window and stared out. The sun was setting, casting the world in a brilliant fiery glow.

"I have to do it... I need Atlan out of the picture. I need him gone. Only then will I ever have a chance to let Vivian to truly know how I feel... You have to realize, Doopliss. With Atlan gone, even though you're chances of being with Vivian are 1,000,000 to 1, that's 1 more than with Atlan being here. I have to do this..."

Doopliss smiled to himself.  
He then let out a sigh. He walked towards the wall mirror and took his Atlan disguise. That handsome face... He looked at it with such disgust that it almost scared him.  
It felt like two different people, staring each other down in a contest of life or death.  
Doopliss saw Atlan. He didn't see himself. Exactly how it should have been.  
_"Good-bye Atlan..."_

He then transformed back into his old self.  
It was the last time he would ever put on his Atlan disguise ever again.

* * *

Doopliss stood outside the door to Room 13 - the room where Vivian and Mario and all them were staying. He was sure they were still out on their search for those Rainbow Relic things, so he knew the coast was clear. In his hand, he held a note that he had written. He decided to do a quick proofread...

--

_Dear Vivian..._

_How are you? Too bad we didn't get to go out last night, but hey, there's still tonight, right? I'd love it if you could meet me tonight at 10 'o clock at the little wooden bench on the cruise dock. I'm dying to see you, babe.  
There's something I really need to tell you. So please, be there...  
XOXOX_

_Love, Atlan_

_PS: Don't come to see me in my room before then. I want our meeting at the dock to be the only one today. I just want it to feel extra special! See you there, dollface!_

_--_

Making sure it sounded just right, Doopliss took a deep breath. He planned to slip the note under the door so Vivian would find it. From then on, he wasn't sure what would happen. He would just have to play be ear and follow his feelings.  
He bent down hesitantly, ready to slide the note beneath the door. He closed his eyes, and under his breath, he lectured himself as to why this was the only way.

"I'd rather have Vivian hate me for who I am... than have her love me for who I'm not."

And with that, he slid the paper far underneath the door. So far that he knew he wouldn't be able reach under and pull it back out. There was no turning back now...  
Doopliss stood there for a while, wondering just what might he do.  
Figuring he'd think about it later, he began to head back to his room...

Suddenly, the door to Room 14 opened, and out stepped someone familiar...  
Lord Crump!  
Doopliss gasped loudly, and Crump turned to look at him.  
"Umm... don't I know you from somewhere?" Crump asked.  
Doopliss was quivering. "Umm, uhh... I don't think so!"  
Two voices then rang from within the room. "Who are you talking to, Crump?!"  
"Yeah CRUMP!! Get out there and start lookin' for Peach and Vivian already! Don't go talkin' to strangers!"  
Doopliss recognized both voices. One was Bowser.  
But one really rang a bell...  
"Grodus," he told himself.

As if on cue, Grodus's head bounded out of the room to see what the commotion was. When he spotted Doopliss, a sudden look of reminiscence struck his eyes. "You... I remember you! You're that pathetic Duplighost that replaced Vivian when she left the Shadow Sirens! What the hell are YOU doing here?!"  
Doopliss stammered. "M-me?! I-I should be asking YOU that question! What are you and Crump doing here, and Bowser too!?"  
Bowser poked his head out the door. "Someone say my name?"

Grodus then narrowed his eyes. "...Mario... You're here because you know Mario and his group are here! What's your business with them?! TELL ME!"  
Doopliss couldn't answer that. How on earth could he tell them that he was only there because he was in love with Vivian? How would he react? Would he even believe them?!  
Grodus then shook his head. "No, you know what? Why you're here isn't important. However... You can lead me to them, can't you?!"  
Doopliss looked puzzled, but he knew nonetheless that this group of villains wasn't in Morteva with good intentions. "Why do you want to know?"  
"That's none of your concern!" Grodus yelled. "Now tell me where they are this instant!!"  
Doopliss reached behind his back for the doorknob to his room, ready to throw it open and run in at any second. He feared that if they were after Mario's party, they might try and hurt Vivian, too.  
"Never..." he said quietly.

Grodus roared. "Bowser! Crump! SEIZE HIM!!"  
Bowser and Crump immediately dashed for Doopliss, who twisted the doorknob and attempted to jump through the door into his room. However, he was stopped short by four strong hands snatching his feet in midair and pulling him back.  
"No! Let me go!" Doopliss cried, trying to resist by grabbing the edge of the doorway and holding on.  
But Bowser and Crump were too strong for him. He lost his grip and was dragged mercilessly along the carpeted hallway floor into the lair of the three villains. He saw the door slam shut in front of his face. He was trapped.

"Pin him against the wall!" Grodus ordered.  
Bowser and Crump obeyed. They each grabbed one of Doopliss's shoulders and slammed him hard against the wall. Grodus bounded over and stood in front of Doopliss.  
"So..." he said casually, "Ready to tell us where Mario and his friends are?"  
Doopliss didn't bother to try and escape. He spoke fearlessly. "You're an idiot if you haven't figured out where they are by now..."  
Grodus laughed. "Are you kidding?! This island is huge! It's not like they're staying in the room right next to us, is it?"  
Doopliss said nothing.

Grodus sighed. "OK Doopliss, what must I do to get this information out of you? Should I perhaps use force?"  
Grodus motioned towards Bowser, who held a sharp claw up to Doopliss's throat.  
Doopliss remained unafraid. "I'd rather die than tell you where they are..."  
Grodus's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Hmm... Well Doopliss, I must admit, I'm shocked! When we first met, you seemed like the cowardly type to me. But now... You're willing to give your life for the safety of a group of people that beat you nearly to death? Why is that? Is there perhaps someone in their group that you have ties with?"  
Doopliss again remained silent, but his eyes began to shift nervously. Grodus snickered lightly.

Doopliss then grunted. "Tell me why you need them, and I'll think about telling you where you can find them..."  
Grodus looked up at him suspiciously. "...Do you promise?"  
"Yes," Doopliss said.  
Grodus had to think about it for a minute or two, but eventually nodded. "Very well then. It is our plan to allow Bowser to kidnap Peach so that my mainframe computer, TEC, will be forced to fulfill my requests of rebuilding my moon base. Therefore, I will have another chance at world domination..."  
Doopliss raised an eyebrow. "Why would your computer care if Peach was kidnaped?"  
Grodus chuckled. "Why else? He's in love with her! Of course, I wouldn't expect someone like you to know anything about love..."

He then looked up at Doopliss. "...Do you?"  
Doopliss again remained silent. Grodus had begun to realize that when Doopliss said nothing, it's because he was hiding something.

"Ah yes, I forgot the little bonus that goes along with this plan!" Grodus laughed. "I also plan to kill Vivian for betraying me and destroying the Shadow Queen!"  
Once he heard that, Doopliss gasped in shock. Not a second later, his eyes narrowed menacingly, filled with hate. Grodus noticed the crazed look in Doopliss's eyes.

Grodus returned the stare with one of suspicion. "Does that trouble you, Doopliss?"  
Doopliss quickly tried to recover. "Umm... what do you mean?"Grodus moved in closer. "Does it trouble you that I plan to... kill Vivian with hideous cruelty? Maybe beat her to death with something blunt... Maybe cut off her limbs one by one... Maybe drown her in a pool of her own blood spilt from her throat...? Oh, there are many ways!"  
With each suggestion, Doopliss's eyes became increasingly angry. He hated himself for it, but he couldn't hide it.  
Grodus laughed. "Well now, you wouldn't want anything happening to your... dear little Vivian, now would you?"  
Bowser and Crump laughed. Doopliss's firm gaze didn't shift. "What are you gonna do to her...?"  
"Oh, well... if you just tell me where they are," Grodus reasoned, "Nothing has to. Are you willing to risk the life of your little girlfriend? If you tell us, I'll let you go and leave Vivian unharmed. If you don't... I'll kill her - right before your very eyes!"  
Doopliss didn't know what to do. Should he tell them where Vivian was? Could he really trust Grodus? Would he really spare her if he told? Oh, what should he do?!

Doopliss thought over the issue for a long time. Grodus seemed quite patient in his waiting for a response.  
"The princess will be kidnaped either way?" Doopliss asked.  
"Yeah," said Bowser, pressing Doopliss's shoulder harder against the wall. "Princess Peach is mine no matter what!"  
"And you say if I tell you where they are, you'll leave Vivian alone?"  
"Yup," said Crump. "But if you don't, we kill her right in front of you! Buh huh!"  
"Well...?" asked Grodus.

Doopliss wasn't sure what to do. He couldn't say yes, but he was too afraid to say no...  
He could fight back by transforming into something... but he could only take forms that were the same size or smaller than he was. Even turning into Flurrie was really stretching his limits. No matter what he could turn into, it'd be no match for all three of them...  
And plus, something about the whole situation had just made him so... weak. Thinking about Vivian in danger... It didn't make him stronger. It just made him lose his will to fight. Was he really that weak a person?

Doopliss finally looked at Grodus seriously. "I ain't tellin' you nothin'..."  
Grodus stared at Doopliss for a long time, curious and somewhat annoyed.  
But eventually, he just began to laugh. A deep, maniacal laugh. "Very well then Doopliss. If that's how you want it, then so be it. Bowser! Crump! Show our guest out the door, and triple your efforts of searching for Peach and Vivian! Doopliss, we'll be keeping out eye on you..."  
And with that, Bowser and Crump carried Doopliss to the door, opened it, and threw him roughly out into the hall, slamming the door behind him.  
A second later, the door opened up again, and out ran Crump. "Doh, yeah! I gotta go out and look for Peach and Vivian! Don't worry Doopliss! We'll take goood care of your girlfriend! Buh! Buh! BUH HUH HUH!!" And with that, he ran down the hall laughing like a fool.

Doopliss sat on the hallway floor. He sighed heavily. What had he just done?  
He couldn't just abandon the plans he had with Vivian that night, yet he couldn't just let Vivian and them wander around clueless while Grodus, Bowser and Crump were hunting them down.  
Maybe if he could somehow squeeze that detail in while he was working on his plan to win Vivian?  
That idea sounded completely ridiculous, but he really wasn't sure what else to do...

Doopliss was then startled by the sound of many voices coming down the hall towards him. Thinking it might be Mario and his crew, he quickly sat up and leapt for the door to Room 12. He opened it up, dashed in, and quickly slammed the door behind them just as they rounded the corner.  
Indeed, it was Mario's crew. He recognized their voices. Thank goodness they came in the opposite direction Crump had run out.  
He would warn Vivian that night. Somehow...

* * *

All seven of Mario's partners waltzed into Room 13. Mario and Peach had gone to the Payless just down the road to get Mario a new pair of Boots (preferably Ultra Boots... and preferably on sale ). They'd left the Rainbow Relics, the Crystal Ball, and the Map in the care of Mario's friends, with hopes that maybe the new Rainbow Relic they'd gotten from Bansha's tomb might add a new symbol to the Map, and a new verse to The Poem, too.

Vivian was holding the new Rainbow Relic in her hands. It was a shiny green pair of feet. Kind of odd, indeed, but the stone it was made of was stunningly gorgeous.  
She looked around at everyone else. "Hey guys? I don't think Mario officially did the whole 'Yay! I got a new Rainbow Relic' thingy yet..."  
Verdugo scratched his chin, then opened his eyes wide. "Oh yeah, you're right! I guess we should do it for him then, eh? I mean, how often is it just the seven of us? Never, that's how often! We should make this moment special!"  
"Yeah!" They all exclaimed.  
Everyone gathered around Vivian as she held the Rainbow Relic high over her head...

**_You got the Green Rainbow Relic! Also known as the Feet of Strength!  
_**

"...Feet of Strength?" Koops asked. "Heh, kind of a funny name!"  
"Well, I guess we now know where the term 'feat of strength' probably comes from..." Goombella thought.  
Flurrie, who'd been holding the Map, suddenly gasped. "Oh dear me! I think it's happening again!"  
Everyone looked at her as the Map levitated from her hands and into the air.  
Ms Mowz shrieked a little too, for she'd been holding the Crystal Ball. It, too, began to levitate with The Map.  
The two objects did their odd little dance...  
And the Crystal Ball then shot it's black wisps at the Map, imprinting a new symbol on the front and a new poem verse on the back.  
Both objects then settled down on the bed.

Bobbery walked over slowly and hopped up on the bed to examine the Map. "Hmm... looks like the next Rainbow Relic is... Oh goodness! It's right here in town!"  
Everyone gasped an ran over, curious about the new symbol. "See?" Bobbery exclaimed, jumping on the bed. "It's right there! On the edge of Noah's Wharf! And by the look of it, it looks like a pair of eyes!"  
Koops snapped his fingers. "Eyes! that's it! I KNEW there was some really crucial body part that we hadn't come across yet."

Goombella hopped up and down. "OK, we know where the next Relic is, so let's check out the poem!"  
Despite how dark and scary The Poem was, they knew that reading the next verse was inevitable. They promptly flipped the paper over, and Bobbery began to read...

**_Protector of the Sky  
Grounded by the eye  
Of the ever-growing beast  
Which the light is its feast..._**

_**Born from dark hearts  
We seize the Gods' Arts  
We live to see die**_

**_The Protector of the Sky..._**

_**Crooks, rogues and thieves  
Plague a town by the sea,  
This dark and shadowed war,  
A baby girl, it bore...**_

_**A land of toadstools  
Where an empire rules,  
And where kings kill for joy  
And spawn an infant boy...**_

_**When a gent loves a lass  
Overseas they may pass  
And when together in love,  
May the world drown in blood...**_

_**The Gods' Arts, we take,  
The God's Arts, we reshape,  
So when in their post again,  
They shall bring the world's end...**_

Silence.  
There was always that dreadful silence following the recital of a new poem verse.

"So... The God's Arts are the Rainbow Relics, right?" Koops asked.  
"Yeah, that's what Reinus said..." Vivian thought.  
"So according to the wording," Ms Mowz said deeply, "Whatever 'dark 'beings' this poem refers to somehow reshaped the Relics so that when they're returned to their post, they would... bring the world's end? But that makes no sense!"  
"Yeah! What gives!?" Verdugo shouted. "The Rainbow Relics are supposed to be saving the world, not ending it! I think you read it wrong, Bobbery! Lemme see!"

As Verdugo jumped up onto the bed and tried to push a fuming Bobbery out of the way, Goombella got that feeling again...  
Lots of shoes. Lots and lots of shoes...  
A steel ladder...  
And Mario!  
"OH NO! MARIO!!" she shouted. So loud it ended all discussion in the room.  
"What is it, Goombella dear?" Flurrie asked.  
Goombella looked at them all with wide eyes, and in a horrifying tone, whispered,  
"...'Tomic Wedgie..."

Koops and Verdugo looked at one another in total fright. "INTERVENTION!!"  
And with that, they ran at about Mach 6 out of the room. The others, all flipping out as well, grabbed their important things and ran out after them. Within seconds, they were all out of that damn hotel and running their asses off to the Payless store!  
The door to Room 12 then slowly opened, and Bowser peeked his head out. "What the hell? Pfft... Got some total lunatics stayin' in our hotel. Ugh..." And with that, he closed the door.

* * *

Goombella was the first to burst into the Payless store. Koops and Verdugo, knowing first-hand how serious the situation was, ran in soon after.  
"Omigosh, where is he?!" Goombella shouted, disrupting the silence of the store. "Everyone, look for him! He doesn't have much time!"  
"On it!" shouted Koops and Verdugo, who began to scan the aisles for Mario. Everyone in the store looked at these three like they were total loons, and they all let out an audible 'WTF' when about four more weirdos came running in and shouting about wedgies. o0

In their frantic search for Mario, everyone finally heard Flurrie call out. "Mario! THERE you are!"  
Upon hearing this, everyone in the party ran towards the sound of her voice, Goombella leading the pack. When they reached the appropriate aisle, Flurrie pointed at Mario.  
He was up on top of a tall steel ladder, reaching for a pair of shoes on the top shelf. He looked down at all of them and smiled meekly. "Umm... Hey guys. I, uhh... I found a pair of Ultra Boots on sale. It's on the top shelf here, so I was just, uhh... using this ladder..."

Peach, who was standing at the foot of the ladder, noticed anxiety in all of their eyes. "Is something wrong?" she asked.  
Flurrie turned to Goombella. "Well Goombella, it doesn't appear as though Mario's in any danger of getting an Atomic Wedgie..."  
Everyone else seemed to agree. Mario just laughed. "Atomic Wedgie? Is that what this is all about? Well then, I guess if I'm next, I'd best just be really careful from now on!"  
But Goombella was still shaking badly. "No, you don't understand..." she quivered. "I saw your vision, Mario... and you're Atomic Wedgie was somehow related to... a steel ladder!"

Everyone gasped and looked up at Mario, who suddenly stiffened and looked down the ladder he was standing on...  
Each rung was made of solid iron, which jutted out each side of the ladder. Some even looked rather bent, as though from overuse. They certainly looked like viable hooks for giving someone a wedgie...

Mario closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and gripped the ladder. "OK..." he said softly. "I'm just gonna go down veeery carefully, rung by rung. I'll be at the bottom in no time, with nothing to worry about..."  
Mario reached for the Ultra Boots and held them over Peach. "Catch!" he ordered, dropping them.  
Peach caught the shoes, then looked up at Mario. "Careful, Mario. Atomic Wedgies are NOT fun..."  
Mario looked down at Verdugo and Koops, who shook their heads in agreement.

With that, Mario began to descend. Carefully and methodically, he stepped down one rung.  
OK, good so far...  
Gripping tightly, he peeked down at his foot so he could position it on the next one down.  
Success! Two rungs down and about... Five to go!  
Mario glanced at the bent, twisted edges sticking out of the sides of the ladder. He could just feel them tugging on his undergarments. Shuddering, he forced his next foot down.  
However, his eyes were so focused on the edges that he wasn't watching where his foot was going.  
He'd barely touched his toes on the next rung.  
Thinking he was secure, he lifted his other foot...  
And the one below slipped!

Mario yelped and stumbled down several inches. Everyone screamed and gasped, but Mario managed to stop himself. He sighed in relief.  
However, his mishap threw Flurrie in such a fit she completely lost it. "Don't worry Mario, dearie! I'll protect you!"  
She began to fly straight at him like a madwoman. When Mario saw her coming at him with her arms outstretched, he screamed. "No, Flurrie! Get away! GET AWAY!!"Mario didn't know what Flurrie planned on doing with her arms outstretched and her knockers zooming at his face. But in all truth, he didn't want to know!  
He decided to go with the alternative option. "AAAAGGGHHHH!!" he cried, as he jumped over the side of the ladder, desperate to jump as far away from Flurrie as possible.  
However, the slick metal was slippery, and he ended up falling short. He fell right down the side of the ladder...  
Snag!  
_RRRRRRRIIIIIIPPPPPPPPP!!_

Mario's denim overalls snagged on one of the jagged rung outlets. His poor happy family was not so happy anymore!  
"MAMA MIIIIIA! HEEELP!" Mario screamed.  
"TOMIC WEDGIE!!" shouted Goombella, basically signaling everyone to get over and help!  
Flurrie, in her mad dash to help Mario, ended up slamming the ladder, causing it to shake like crazy, which in turn, caused Mario to swing. Holy crap, each swing was agony to his balls!

While everyone else was trying to pull Mario down, Peach made a brave attempt to climb the ladder and help from up there. When she reached the rung that Mario's pants had been caught on, she tried to pry them loose, but she couldn't with her own hands. "Damn, I shoulda known that wouldn't work!" she cursed.  
Peach then noticed this particular rung wasn't screwed in very tightly...  
Raising her foot, Peach stored all her energy in it and stomped hard on it.  
It seemed to have been jarred loose a bit!  
Feeling confident, Peach began to stomp like mad, hearing the screw jiggle with every stomp. Mario's painful cries gave her to courage to keep going at it...

Finally, Peach gave the rung once last mighty kick...  
_CLANK!  
_The rung snapped and fell through the ladder! The edge of it that stuck through the side of the ladder came loose, too, and Mario plopped to the ground in a heap. His eyes were teary, but he seemed relieved...

Peach hopped off the ladder and joined everyone else in their little huddle around Mario, seeing if he was OK. He was. His area hurt like hell, but he was gonna be alright. Struggling to stand up, Mario began to laugh between gasps.  
"Whew... Thanks guys. And thank you especially, Peach. And uhh... You too Flurrie, I guess..."  
Flurrie looked down and gave a sheepish smile.

That incident being done and over with, the gang began to head out of the store, with Peach holding Mario's new shoes. Mario walked somewhat bowlegged, but otherwise he was just fine...


	8. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

**- _Innocence Lost_ -**

Mario finished getting on his new pair of Ultra Boots. Once they were on, he stood up and did a test jump. Perfect! He then turned to everybody else. "So, guys. Just one question - Who's yet to get their Atomic Wedgie?"  
Flurrie, Vivian, Bobbery and Ms Mowz all answered unenthusiastically, "Me..."  
Goombella probably should've answered that, too. But she didn't. "I should've gotten mine already, but I was able to avoid it. I'm still not sure what that means, but... Well, I'll still be sure to warn you guys when I get another vision. Hopefully, I might actually be able to save someone from their fate. I can tell from what I've seen that the Atomic Wedgie is REALLY not a pretty thing to have happen to you..."

At this point, everyone was eager to get off the subject of Atomic Wedgies and focus on the Map and its new symbol. The next Rainbow Relic indeed was within their very town of Noah's Wharf. In fact, there appeared to be a small arrow pointing off the symbol, indicating a specific building...The gang followed the Map and eventually came across the building that they thought might be the right one...  
Everyone looked up from the Map, and looked at the big brick structure before them.

**WARBURTON'S BOARDING SCHOOL**

Bobbery raised an eyebrow. "By Blabberton's beard! You mean to tell me that the next great and almighty Rainbow Relic is within a school?!"  
"And not only that, but check out the sign right below it!" said Ms Mowz.  
Below the large sign was a smaller one:

**Prep School for Ages 8 and Under  
**

Goombella giggled. "Aww, it's full of cute little kids! Heheh, I bet Verdugo would fit in just fine!"  
Verdugo scowled. "I'm not THAT little!"  
"But you're cute!"  
"SHUT UP! I'm not- Umm... really? I am?"

Mario looked at the Map, then the school, and nodded. "Well, looks like this is the place."  
Peach nodded, too. "Right, but first, I'm curious about the poem. Was a new verse added?"  
Mario and Peach read the new verse aloud to themselves. It's cryptic message almost made them reluctant to even look for the next Rainbow Relic.  
But no, they had to...  
Feeling confident that they didn't need to prep for any tough battles or anything, the crew marched boldly up to the entrance to the school.

* * *

"Excuse me sir and madams! Strangers are not allowed on the school premises during school hours. I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Right now!"

"Great," Goombella remarked under her breath. "We're here five minutes and we're already caught by a stupid hall monitor..."  
Mario scratched his chin. "But, um... Considering this is a boarding school, doesn't 'school hours' basically mean... all day?"  
"Precisely," said the hall monitor. He looked a lot like the security guards they had seen around the Glitz Pit, only his skin was green and he was a bit bigger, which means to say he looked pretty tough. "And furthermore, it's currently 7:00 pm, and the children are eating dinner. The _'No Strangers' _rule is enforced more strictly during meal hours."  
"But we can't leave!" Verdugo cried. "We're looking for the Rainbow Relic and we gotta find it NOW!"  
The hall monitor raised his eyebrow. "...Well, the _'No Strangers' _rule is enforced even more when it comes to crazy people! I'm going to have to escort you out immediately!"

Flurrie suddenly chimed in. "Oh, I'm so sorry sir! Please don't mind little Verdugo. He's got quite an imagination, little tot..." she said in her most dignified voice. "Anyhoo, we've come to this lovely establishment with hopes of performing our play, 'Paper Mario', for the children to enjoy! You see, we're a traveling troupe of actors, performing for all the schools around the world, and 'Paper Mario' has been a smash hit all over! So, what do you say? May we perhaps do just this little presentation? We'll be on our way after that, I assure you!"  
The hall monitor raised his eyebrow again. "Paper Mario? I've heard of it. Hmm... Well, to be honest, I have nothing against the idea, but you really should make an appointment for something like this."  
Flurrie laughed. "Oh, of course! Where's the principal? I'm sure we can work something out with him!"  
The hall monitor thought for a second, then pointed down the hallway. "Go down here and take a left. It's the second door on the right. The door has 'Principal Warburton' right on it. You can't miss it."  
"Thank you so very much!" Flurrie said graciously, shaking his hand.

"No problem. Say hi to the boss for me, will ya?"

Following the hall monitor's directions, Mario an co eventually reached the door with the words 'PRINCIPAL WARBURTON' painted on the glass window. Once they did, Mario turned to Flurrie.  
"Yo Flurrie, nice! But uhh... Won't that guy be expecting us to put on the play for real?"  
"Oh, nonsense!" scoffed Flurrie. "It was just a little lie to get him off our backs! And yes, he probably will be expecting it, but he's just one person! We don't REALLY have to put on the play! Let's just look for the Rainbow Relic and use that fib with everyone that asks us what we're here for. When the play's not shown, they can just assume that something came up and we had to leave. No big deal!"  
Everyone agreed it was a smart idea and decided to stick with it.  
"Very well then," Ms Mowz said. "I'll start looking on my own. See you all later!" And with that, she did a high, graceful leap between the bars of an air vent and silently disappeared.  
"What the heck? What an odd woman she is," Peach said.  
"Yeah, she's like that," said Mario. "Always off and runnin' somewhere..."

Suddenly, the hall monitor rounded the bend and saw Mario and his crew loitering outside of the principal's office. "What's this?" he asked. "You gonna talk to the principal or what?"  
They all stiffened, especially Flurrie, and turned around to look at him.  
"He's in there, you know. You can go right ahead," the hall monitor reassured.  
Flurrie tried to talk to him. "Well, umm... He's a busy man, running this school all by himself, you know? So, um... You know what? We don't want to disturb him. We can just prepare to do the play at another school..."  
"Oh no, it's fine! Really!" said the hall monitor, walking to the door and opening it. "Go right in! I insist, the principal will certainly make some time for you!"  
This hall monitor sure was persistent. And he DID have the door wide open for them...  
"OK," Flurrie moaned. "If you insist..."

Following Flurrie, everyone, including the hall monitor, walked into the principal's office. And behind the desk sat Principal Warburton himself.  
To everyone's surprise, Mr Warburton was a Bob-omb. A large red one actually, about three times Bobbery's size. He sported a long, fashionable mustache that curled at each end. He also wore a hat, that strangely resembled that of a ship captain.

When they all entered the room, Mr Warburton looked up from the document he was reading. His expression didn't change, not even when he looked at the hall monitor. Seemed like the guy was so into his work he didn't even know the faces of his own employees.  
After a while of staring, Warburton gave a small smile. "Hello everyone. Can I help you all?"  
"You're the principal?" Koops asked. "Pardon me if I sound rude, but... You just don't look the type."  
Mr Warburton just laughed. "Oh, yes. I suppose I don't. I was once a renowned sea captain, but after retiring from that job, I decided to start this boarding school. Young children are just the best! So full of excitement and energy... You know, I've always said that adults appreciate the world through knowledge, but kids appreciate it through wonder. Don't you think so?"  
"Hmm... Yeah, I guess that's true," said Koops thoughtfully.  
"Ahem! Anyway, why was it that you've all come?"

Mario knew they couldn't actually pull off performing the play, but they needed SOME excuse to stay on the school premises so they could search for the Rainbow Relic. He had to think... Some acceptable excuse that would allow them to stay and look for it. Something clever. Something credible. Something...  
"They're here to perform the play 'Paper Mario' for the children, sir!" the hall monitor blurted.

Mr Warburton looked at them all curiously. "Is that so? Well, it'd have helped if you'd made an appointment, certainly. However, seeing as I've heard VERY good things about the play, and seeing as the famous actress Madame Flurrie is standing right here in my office... Why not? The cafeteria where all the children are currently eating dinner also doubles as our drama classroom, so there's a large stage on which you can perform. I presume you plan to put on the play tonight and have all your props and such ready?"

Mario was thinking... He had to give SOME kind of snappy answer that would get them out of performing the play, yet would allow them to stay on the campus and look for the Rainbow Relic. Something believable. Something unsuspicious. Something...  
"Yes, that's what they said!" the hall monitor blurted again.  
Mario gritted his teeth, ready to sock the idiot in the jaw.

Warburton smiled. "Very well then. One second please!"

He walked on over to the loudspeaker and turned in on. He then spoke into it, smiling excitedly the whole time.

_"Attention students! This is Principal Warburton speaking, and we have a real treat planned for you today! An acting troupe has made a surprise visit and will put be putting on a play for you this evening! Teachers, please allow your students to stay and watch the play even going into class hours. That is all. Thank you, and enjoy!"  
_  
Mr Warburton then turned the loudspeaker off, jumped down from his chair, and motioned them all out. "Well, you all should start getting ready then! I'm quite busy at the moment, but I'll be sure to catch as much of your presentation as I can! I'll be looking forward to it!"  
Before they all left, Verdugo turned around and faced Mr Warburton. "Oh, and Mr Principal guy, you know where the Rainbow Relic is?"  
When Verdugo asked that, it was noticed that Warburton got a look of utter surprise on his face. There was even a trace of suspicion in his eyes...  
But he quickly covered it up and smiled. "Hmm... No, I'm afraid I've heard of no such thing. Well, get going now! Good luck out there!" And with that, he closed the door.

The hall monitor pointed to a set of double doors at the end of the hall. "Those doors lead backstage," he said. "I'll be watching when you guys start the play!" He turned around and walked down the hall, disappearing around a corner.  
"That guy is SO lucky that I didn't slit his throat with my own frickin' fingernails!" Peach snorted.  
"Ugh... I KNOW!" Goombella complained. "At least Ms Mowz managed to get out of it. Lucky..."  
"Well guys, looks like we have no choice now but to put on this play," Vivian said. "We can't just abandon the hopes of these little kids, can we?"  
"Indeed," added Bobbery. "But we know not any lines or stage directions! Flurrie, only you know all these things! You must instruct us!"

"Oh, calm down!" Flurrie ordered. "We don't need a script or anything of the sort! All we have to do is just... relive the days of our last adventure. Just get lost in your memories and let them and your feelings guide you on stage. That's what I did!"  
Mario's eyes opened wide. "Hey, yeah! You know, that actually might be kinda fun!"  
"But wait," said Flurrie, "We can't all just star as ourselves in this play. There's also the enemies and such to consider."  
"How about we just have Peach play all the enemies?" Mario joked. Peach gave him a hard nudge in the ribs.  
"I don't know, but we do have to do something about that... and quick!"

Mario and co walked down the hall and through the double doors that led backstage, all discussing what roles they should all play. It was determined right from the get-go that they would all star as themselves. However, they would also have to double as other important characters they'd met on their adventure...

Mario agreed to provide the voice of TEC, as long as he had a little help from Peach as to what he should say.  
Peach herself figured she could play Doopliss. She could use her Sneaky Parasol to provide for the role of Doopliss copying as Mario when the time came.  
Goombella wanted to play Beldam, Kammy Koopa, and maybe even Grodus (her helmet was the closest thing they had resembling his computer head).  
Koops figured if Goombella would be Kammy, he could be Bowser, and just for the hell of it, Cortez.  
Flurrie would be the narrator, since she knew the play best, and she also offered to play Marilyn and the center of the Smorg monster.  
Verdugo begged to be the dragons Hooktail and Gloomtail, because he thought he was the one that most closely resembled them. He got what he wanted.  
Bobbery was stuck with the less-than-pleasant roles of Lord Crump and Grubba, but he accepted them.

By this point, the only one who'd yet to choose an alternate role was Vivian. And fortunately (or unfortunately?) there was still one very crucial role that hadn't been filled yet...  
"Hey Vivian?" asked Mario. "Umm... We still need someone to play the Shadow Queen. You, uh... Would you be willing to do that?"  
Vivian looked at the ground and twiddled with her fingers. It was hard for Mario to ask such a question, because he knew The Shadow Queen was a topic that Vivian didn't like to associate herself with. However, she finally looked up, her expression blank. "OK... I guess I can do it for the sake of the little kids..." She then smiled. "C'mon guys! Let's knock 'em dead! Oh, wait... I didn't actually mean that. Sorry! o.0;"

With all that being settled, they began to briefly discuss their stage directions. They didn't spend too much time on that, though, for they knew all they really had to do was let those memories of their adventure float back into their hearts, and simply go along with their feelings...  
After a surprising fifteen minutes, they were all ready to go. Koops peeked out from behind the curtains, and saw at least 200 kids all sitting and enjoying their dinner. He saw many of them taking repeated glances at the stage, then turn to talk to their neighbor. It was clear they were all anticipating the play.  
"Hey guys!" Flurrie whispered as loud as possible. They all gathered to hear what she had to say. "Dear me, I completely forgot! We need someone to do the lighting! I just simply canNOT go out there and begin the narration without the spotlight! It's customary, you know!"  
Mario sighed. "Aw, c'mon! I can't believe this! What are we gonna do about that?!"  
To everyone's surprise, the sudden loud sound of a spotlight turning on ensued, and the party saw a bright light shoot through the crack between the curtains. All the kids cheered and hollered, as though the moment they'd been awaiting had come at last!  
But... who had turned on the spotlight?  
Not caring about that at the moment, Flurrie gave the party all a thumbs up, and slowly floated onstage.

Once out there, Flurrie looked up at the spotlight, and saw its manager was none other than that devious little Ms Mowz. She gave Flurrie a little 'good luck' gesture, and Flurrie smiled.  
She then looked at her anticipated audience of toddlers, took in a deep breath, and began...

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen! What you are about to see is a true story. A story of action, bravery, courage, and passion. A story of a brave man who rose up when the world was on the verge of disaster. A man who learned the value of teamwork, strength in numbers, and most important of all - friendship. Now then...

_Ahem, today! I am going to tell you the story of the Thousand-Year Door..."  
_

Mario and his crew listened from beyond the curtain at the tale that they had all heard before. The storybook tale of the disappearance of that happy little town, and the treasure that lay sleeping behind the Thousand-Year Door... That story alone brought so many memories to the surface. They wondered just what would happen when the play started!  
Flurrie told the tale passionately, and was made confident by the wondrous eyes of all the kids in the audience.

"_Yes, this is where it begins. In the sea town of Rogueport. The search for the legendary treasure... And the Thousand-Year Door... starts here."  
_

And with that, the curtain opened, and the play went on.  
And what a hit it was!  
From the opening scene with Peach and the merchant (Goombella as the merchant) to the re-enactments of ferocious boss battles to the magical scenes involving the Thousand-Year Door... All the way down to the interludes starring Peach, TEC and Grodus, as well as the funny scenes starring Bowser and Kammy. It was a total blast! At one point, Mario even called that dumbass of a hall monitor up on stage to play a random competitor in the Glitz Pit, in which case he gave the guy a hammer whack he'll never forget!  
The audience of kids was having a ball. Mario had half-expected them to be bored stiff, but nope! They were laughing when things got funny, gasping and screaming when things got scary, and even yelling threats at Goombella when she played Grodus! It was great! Even Flurrie admitted to having never had a more lively audience! At one point, when Flurrie was meant to play Smorg, she called a ton of the kids to come up on stage and play the Smorg miasma surrounding the main body.

Perhaps the best thing about the whole thing, though, was how all the party members got to relive that one special, life-changing moment when they met Mario. Bobbery almost collapsed into tears when his special part of the play came.  
Even Ms Mowz jumped down from her post as light manager once in a while to participate in her own scenes, particularly the one where she joined Mario's party.

The play had been a huge success so far. Happy audience, happy cast, happy memories... Nothing could go wrong. After nearly an hour-and-a-half, they had finally reached the climax of the play - The awakening of the Shadow Queen.

"Now! Arise! Arise, my Shadow Queen!" Goombella shouted in her best Grodus voice.  
Right on cue, Ms Mowz turned on the blue and purple strobe lights, and Vivian rose up slowly from the shadows, wearing a paper crown in place of her hat. When she did, she gave a surprisingly wicked laugh. All the kids in the audience shrieked in terror.

"_Who... Who has called me back?_"she cackled menacingly.  
Goombella was quite startled by the malevolence in Vivian's voice. "Uh... ahem! It is I, my Shadow Queen!"  
Vivian snarled. "_You... Very well then. Where is the vessel?_"  
Goombella pointed toward Peach, who lay at Vivian's feet, acting exhausted. "It is here, my Shadow Queen. The girl that lies before you."  
Vivian smirked. "_Yes... a fine vessel. Now..._" She lowered herself over Peach in the same manner that the Shadow Queen had done on that horrible day.  
Peach was surprised by how much Vivian was involved in her part. It almost scared her how convincing she was as the Shadow Queen...

Ms Mowz turned out the stage lights, and in the darkness, Peach quickly got into a spare black dress.  
In this moment of darkness, however, Mario found himself somewhat confused. Why was Vivian getting so into her role? It had always occurred to him that the Shadow Queen was a topic that Vivian didn't even like to think about. It seemed odd that she would play the part so well despite her evident fear of the person she was playing...

When Ms Mowz turned the lights back on, Peach reappeared in her evil black dress, and all the kids in the audience gasped in shock.  
"_Muahaha! Witness my rebirth!_" she yelled. "_I'm not accustomed to this vessel quite yet... But I will learn how to control it soon enough!_"  
Goombella was ready to say her line, but she then noticed...  
Vivian hadn't left her spot when the lights went out, like she was expected to. She was still standing there, her hands balled up into fists, and her hair flitting about, as though blowing in slow motion in the wind...  
Mario's eyes went wide. Could it be...? Oh no...

Goombella, knowing the show must go on, continued. "Excellent! Now my glorious Shadow Queen, destroy these impudent fools!"  
Peach was about to answer when Vivian, in a terrifying voice, interrupted. "_Who are you that would command me?! What sort of being are you?!_"  
Goombella was shocked at the level of genuine hatred in Vivian's voice. Part of her didn't think Vivian was just acting anymore... But she continued nonetheless. "W-what? But I thought you were bound to obey the one who awoke you! Enough of this prattle! Do as I say! NOW! Or I will send you back to the depths..."  
Vivian raised the palms of her hands in an ominous fashion. "_You'd do well to learn your proper place, slave.._." she growled. "_NO ONE commands me._"

Mario had begun to sweat and quiver. This was the part where the Shadow Queen was supposed to zap Grodus into oblivion... right?  
Goombella...  
Vivian wouldn't REALLY hurt her, would she?  
Was it worth waiting and finding out?!

Mario had seen Vivian like this before, and he knew nothing good could come out of this. Vivian's hands were beginning to flare up like mad. Mario had no time to lose...

Gripping his hammer, Mario let out a battle cry and charged straight for Vivian. He raised the hammer over his head as he ran, ready to bring it down upon Vivian's hands.  
But he was but one foot away from her, ready to strike, she lashed out her hand and tightened it around Mario's throat!  
The audience gasped as Vivian slowly lifted Mario off his feet by her grip around his neck. Her grasp was frightfully strong. Mario found he could hardly breath. He then realized that Vivian was transferring her fiery powers into her hand. She was slowly but surely cooking his throat. He could almost smell the papery skin on his neck frying and smoking like barbecue... If he could breath, he would've screamed bloody murder.  
Vivian's lips curved up into a wicked smile. She knew what she was doing, and she was loving it.

The children in the audience began to shriek and cry, many of the them running out of the theater to get away.  
Finally in a last ditch effort to escape his horrible situation, Mario gripped his hammer once again and, using all his strength, gave a mighty swing that struck Vivian hard in the shoulder. She growled and released her grasp. Mario tumbled to the floor and let out a heavy wheeze, holding his burnt, blackened throat.  
The rest of the 'Paper Mario' cast rushed out from backstage to see what was afoot. "Mario!" demanded Bobbery. "What in blazes is going on?!"

Mario gasped and struggled to sit up. He reached into his pocket and carefully pulled out the Crystal Ball...  
Perfectly clear. The purple smoke was gone...  
Mario breathed heavily and collapsed again, "Vivian...she's..."

At that moment, the cafeteria doors burst open and in ran Mr. Warburton. He was holding a sparkling blue stone in the shape of a pair of eyes. "You evil witch!!" he yelled "Get you and your dark magic out of my school!!"  
Vivian slowly turned her head towards him, and rested her eyes on the gem in his hands. Warburton was holding it up, as though ready to use it as a weapon.

Vivian let out an evil chuckle...  
And hurled a fireball from her left hand directly at Mr Warburton! His eyes went wide and he stumbled out of the way, causing the fireball to explode at his feet. When Warburton came to his feet, he realized he was standing right in between two tables of frightened students.  
He then looked up at the stage...  
And saw a humongous wall of flame soaring straight at him.

Vivian's wall of fiery rage engulfed several full tables. Screams pealed through the air as each table of children, one by one, became swallowed whole by the flames. From within the hellish inferno, a huge explosion boomed. She had gotten Mr Warburton, and several innocent kids in the process...  
And when the fire and smoke cleared... there lay nothing but ash and bone. And within the rubble, beside the exhausted body of Warburton, lay the blue gemstone.

Vivian then opened her mouth wide...  
And out floated that devilish face, shrouded in black mist.  
Mario and the party stared in horror. Verdugo's face turned as white as a bed sheet.  
The evil face escaping Vivian's throat was enough to make all those remaining in the audience flee for their lives. The face floated over to the blue pair of eyes, and picked it up in its mouth. In a flash, it quickly retreated back into Vivian's throat, dropping the treasure in her hands as it did.

Holding the blue beauty in her gloved hands, Vivian slowly floated down the center of the theater, her hair still flowing about wickedly. When he reached the stage doors, they opened before her as if by magic, and when she floated through them, they slammed shut.  
Mario and crew were left standing alone on stage in the empty theater. All was quiet except for the crackling of flames. Ms Mowz, too, had jumped from her light operating position and joined everyone on stage.

No one was sure what to think, what to say, what to feel...  
Vivian had just tried to kill them...  
And she had just killed so many innocent kids...  
But how?  
_Why?_

Mario stood up, anger and determination flashing in his eyes. Despite the painful burn around his neck, he screamed and began to run towards the stage doors after Vivian. No one made any attempt to stop him. He burst through the doors and looked up and down the hallway. He then saw her...  
She had her back to him, and she was looking down curiously at something in her hands...  
Her hair... it was normal.  
The dark aura that had surrounded her...gone.  
But Mario was still uneasy about approaching her.  
How couldn't he be? After what she had just done?

Mario knew better than to jump to conclusions. He was certain by now that Vivian's extreme mood swings were connected to that odd black mist that filled the Crystal Ball.  
When the mist was present in the ball, Vivian was her sweet, innocent, normal self that couldn't hurt anything or anyone...  
But when the mist was gone, Vivian was a rage-filled killing machine, hellbent on creating total chaos...  
What was it about that Crystal Ball? And what did it have to do with Vivian...?

Mario figured this was no time to think about it. Reaching into his pocket, Mario pulled the Crystal Ball out and gazed into it. The ball was once again swirling with that thick, evil-looking smoke.  
This must have meant that Vivian was normal again...  
But still, despite how much he tried to convince himself that Vivian was her sweet, innocent self, he couldn't control the anger boiling up within him... Seriously, Vivian had to be at least SOMEWHAT aware of what she had been doing! How could she not have been? She was the one DOING it!

Grunting to himself, Mario began to approach Vivian. She was still gazing down at something in her own hands. However, she evidently heard Mario's footsteps. She turned around, and when she saw Mario approaching her, she smiled. "Oh, hi Mario!" she exclaimed, holding up the sparkling blue pair of eyes in her hand. "I think I have the Rainbow Relic right here! I don't know how I got it, but..."  
But before she could finish, Mario stepped right in front of her, and smacked her hard across the face.

Vivian was so shocked she didn't say anything for a long time. She merely held her swollen cheek and stared at Mario in fear and confusion. Mario returned the stare, looking absolutely furious. The anger in his eyes was enough to make Vivian want to cry right then and there.  
"M-Mario..." she stammered.  
Mario gritted his teeth. "Vivian, you'd better tell me what the HELL is going on with you!!"  
Vivian couldn't find an answer to his question. She didn't even know what he meant by it.  
Her eyes then rested on Mario's burnt and blackened neck. She gasped loudly. "Mario... What happened to your neck...?"  
Mario did a fake laugh. "Oh, this? My neck? You're worried about my goddamn neck?! Strange you should worry about that because YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DID THIS TO ME!!"  
Vivian's mouth opened in disbelief. She slowly shook her head. "No..." she whispered. "No, Mario... I'd never..."

Mario then completely lost it. "For god's SAKE, Vivian! Will you stop acting like you have no idea what you've been doing?! What you've done!? Do NOT tell me you don't know what you've just done!!"  
Vivian lips were quivering. It was clear she was ready to drop down and cry, and she still didn't even know what Mario meant...  
"W-What did I do...?" she asked quietly.  
"Need a reminder?!" Mario shouted. "Here! Let me show you!!"  
Mario grabbed her roughly by the shoulder and basically dragged her to the cafeteria doors. Once there, he forcefully kicked them open, and thrust her in.  
"THIS, Vivian!!" Mario screamed. "Look at what you've just done!!"

Vivian looked around the empty cafeteria and theater, completely devastated by what she saw. She knew what she was seeing, but her mind just would not allow her to believe...  
An entire row of tables looked at though it had just been caught in a raging inferno. Smoldering ashes and small flames still flickered about and eerily illuminated the room...  
And the bodies of the kids who had been sitting in those tables, blown unfathomable distances from their seats. All charred and blackened, bones and blood strewn everywhere. It was so completely unreal...  
Vivian just couldn't believe it. Had the wave of fire that had done this really come from her own hands...?

Vivian looked up at the stage, and saw all of her friends standing up their, staring at her. She looked up at them pleadingly, begging with her eyes for one of them to tell her that none of this had been her fault...  
But sadly, none of them did. They continued to stare, angry and afraid of her at the same time. Verdugo looked especially frightened over her. When Vivian looked his in the eyes, he scooted over and hid behind Peach's dress.

Vivian couldn't deny it anymore. She had done this...  
She didn't know how, or why, or even _when_ for Heaven's sake, but she did...  
Unable to look at Mario, her friends, or the bodies of the poor children she had horribly burned alive, Vivian buried her face in her hands and cried.  
She cried and she cried and she cried...

* * *

"YOU EVIL WITCH!!" Mr Warburton yelled after Vivian as she and the gang walked out of the school's main doors. "Curse the day I found that blue eye-stone!! I shoulda known it was valuable, and I shoulda known it would attract evil witches like YOU!! Keep the damned thing, witch!! I hope you're happy... You're lucky I don't report you to the authorities!! You think I want the world knowing that thirty-three students BURNED TO DEATH IN MY SCHOOL??"  
Mr Warburton sighed sadly. "Bless their little hearts..." he said aloud before walking back into the building and slamming the doors behind him.

The only one with will enough to even walk near Vivian was Ms Mowz. Flurrie walked next to Ms Mowz, but still preferred to keep her distance.  
All the others walked as far away from her as they could. They were all still too afraid to even look in her general direction.  
Mario, especially. He walked far ahead of everyone, looking angrily down at the ground and stroking the burning wound around his neck. He wouldn't even allow Peach near him. Anytime someone made an effort to catch up, he would merely walk faster and get out of their way.

And Vivian...  
She was no longer bawling, but the tears still ran down her cheeks like two perpetual rivers, and she still could hardly speak between her quivering breaths.

"Vivian dear... Are you feeling OK?" Flurrie asked, knowing it was a rather foolish question. She only asked because she thought maybe Vivian needed someone to talk to.  
Vivian slowly shook her head. "No..." she panted. "I killed so many innocent little kids! And I don't even know how or why or anything...!" She looked away from Flurrie and down at the floor. Ms Mowz reached up and touched Vivian's arm gently.  
"Vivian, darling..." Flurrie said softly, "I know you... You could never do such things of your own free will. I saw you do them with my own eyes, but still... I refuse to believe you had complete control over your actions."  
"But then what did?!" Vivian almost shouted. "And why can't I control it?! Why do I...? Why can't...?"

Vivian threw her hand over her eyes and began to weep heavily again.  
Ms Mowz continued to stroke Vivian's arm in an affectionate matter, but she feared there was little she could do to make Vivian feel better. She looked at Flurrie, who looked down sadly. She didn't know anything that could be done either...

Ms Mowz then reached behind her back. "Hey Vivian..." she said slyly. "Look what I've got..."  
Vivian moved her hand away from her face to see what it was the Ms Mowz wanted to show her. She was somewhat surprised to see Ms Mowz holding up a piece of paper.  
Vivian took the paper in her trembling hand. "What's this...?" she asked between her deep breaths.  
"I found it on the ground when we last went in the hotel room - you know, when Mario and Peach were off at the shoe store?" Ms Mowz replied. "I was about to throw it away, but then I found out there was something written on it. Something that I think you might like..."

Intrigued, Vivian opened up the paper and read the words inside...  
And suddenly, for that brief second, the sorrow from her face seemed to all but disappear.  
"It's from Atlan!" she said dreamily. "And he wants to see me at the docks tonight, at 9 o'clock."  
Flurrie smiled. "Indeed, dearie. And it's about 8:30 at the moment. What do you think? Wanna head on over now and let this whole fiasco just slowly fade into memory?"

Vivian thought about it. Seeing Atlan would really make her feel better, considering this had been... not the best of days for her.  
However, she looked ahead at Mario, and saw him walking with his head down, caressing his burnt throat...Could she really just ditch them all for Atlan at this minute without at least giving everyone, especially Mario, a decent apology?  
Sure, an apology couldn't reverse the horrible things she had done... and she wasn't even sure what to say she was sorry for, seeing as she had no idea what it was that made her do such things.  
But still…

Vivian stared longingly at the note. Oh, she so badly wanted to see Atlan again! He would make her feel better...  
But then she looked ahead at Mario, and at everyone else who were still too shaken to talk to her.  
She then looked at Ms Mowz and Flurrie, as though asking them what she should do.  
"We can take care of them for now," Ms Mowz assured her.  
"Go see your man!" Flurrie said happily.  
Vivian smiled, and nodded. "Thanks. You two are the best!"  
"Hey, we do what we can," Ms Mowz said with a chuckle.  
"Now hurry up!" Flurrie whispered loudly. "Go! Slip under the shadows before Mario and the others see you!"  
Smiling to herself, Vivian escaped into her shadow and disappeared into the dark ground.

Flurrie then looked at Ms Mowz. "Do you think Vivian will find out the truth about Atlan soon? That he's really Doopliss?"  
Ms Mowz nodded slyly, for she had read the note word for word and knew exactly what Doopliss was planning. "Yes, I think so..."

When the team arrived back at their room, they all spread out and sat down among the four beds. No one said a word, except for Mario, who looked around curiously and noticed one of the party was missing.  
"Where's Vivian?" he asked roughly, looking at Ms Mowz and Flurrie.  
"Oh, she's out with Atlan at the moment," Flurrie said.  
"Um, b-but she said she's deeply sorry for what happened!" Ms Mowz quickly announced. "...And that she'll apologize in person after we're all a bit settled down!"  
"Oh," was all Mario managed to say.  
He then began rubbing the burn around his neck again. Small papery ashes scraped off and fell on the floor. He grimaced at the sight. "Ugh... I'm gonna go to the bathroom and wash this up a bit. Maybe put some Vaseline on it or something..."  
"Are you sure you're OK, Mario?" Peach asked sympathetically.  
"No," was all he said before closing the bathroom door.

The room was silent once again...  
Until Goombella spoke out. "So," she said, "I hear their having karaoke in the bar at about 10 o'clock tonight. Omigosh, I LOVE karaoke! I'm SO going! Anyone else want to?"  
Flurrie and Ms Mowz quickly volunteered. Peach was a little while in answering, but she eventually said yes, too. Bobbery agreed not long after.  
Koops didn't seem to enthusiastic about it, though. "Errmm... I think I still gotta sleep off some of that anti-spider-venom stuff they gave me this morning, but... I'll see how I feel.  
Verdugo looked around, confused. "What the hell is karaoke?!"

* * *

Vivian sat on the lonely bench on the dock, gazing out at the expansive ocean that stretched before her. It was strangely peaceful, sitting there... The starry night sky and the calm black ocean looked like such the same shade of color that, if she didn't know better, she might've guessed they merged into one. She felt as though she was sitting at the edge of the world... staring out into an endless, dark abyss, in which the overhead was reserved for the moon and stars, and the below was mere nothingness. Only the sound of waves crashing against the dock kept her from becoming completely lost in her thoughts.

Vivian gazed up at a tall building in the middle of the town with a large clock face on it. It was 9:04.  
Wow, she'd been sitting there for a quite a while. Almost a half hour.  
Atlan had written in his note that he would meet her there at 9. He was a little late, but he'd be there soon!  
Oh... thinking of seeing Atlan again just warmed her soul. The moments she'd spent with him during the past three days were some of her happiest.

And yet, for some reason, as she thought of Atlan, her mind wandered off to Doopliss...  
She remembered what he had told her last night - that Atlan was just that typical male model type that would make a girl think she was in love with him, only to just dump her for another.  
Such thoughts made Vivian remember why she just could not stand Doopliss. How could he say such things about a guy he'd never even met? Sure, he'd been punch-drunk that night, but still! It was certainly something to think about, but perhaps not at that moment.  
She looked hopefully down the dock, but saw no sign of Atlan coming up it quite yet.  
"It's OK. A few more minutes..." she told herself.

* * *

Doopliss stood around the corner of a building right along Morteva's dock, just out of sight of Vivian's bench. He glanced around the corner, and much to his dismay, she was sitting in that very bench that he had told her to in his letter.  
"My God, she came..." he said aloud to himself.  
He then groaned.

_"Well, of COURSE she came, Doopliss! Ya moron! How could she resist a note from her beloved prince charming 'Atlan', huh? Geez..."  
_

Doopliss was beginning to feel very depressed. He looked around the building again and saw Vivian, just sitting there all by herself, waiting for Atlan to show up and make her happy...  
Doopliss covered his face with his hand.

_"Ugh... I can't do this... I just can't do it. How will she feel when she's just sitting there for hours and he doesn't show up? It'll break her heart... And yeah, she'll see I was telling the 'truth' about Atlan, but... c'mon! Is that REALLY gonna help me win her? Ya blew it Doopliss! Ya BLEW it!!"  
_

Doopliss kicked himself. He was faced with yet another difficult situation that he'd stupidly gotten himself into.

He peeked around the building once more at the woman he loved...  
He couldn't bear to even think of her sadness when Atlan didn't arrive. It didn't even seem worth it. What was the point of trying to win her if the price was just seeing her sad all the time...?

Doopliss took a deep breath. He had to do something. He wasn't sure what, but he had to do something...  
Could he maybe satisfy her ambitions and approach her as Atlan?  
No... he couldn't do that. The whole reason he'd set up this whole fake date was to make her forget about him.  
Could he perhaps just leave Vivian hanging like he'd planned?  
But... he didn't want to make her sad again...

Or perhaps... he could approach as himself?  
Now THAT was a stupid idea. That wouldn't solve anything.  
"Well, I dunno... maybe..." Doopliss thought aloud. "Maybe after a little while, when Vivian just starts to suspect that Atlan ain't comin'..."  
Doopliss then scolded himself again. "NO, Doopliss! What did I tell you about being stupid!?"  
But still, he couldn't get the possibility out of his head...

Doopliss sat down with his back resting against the building and began to think very hard. He didn't want to make Vivian depressed again, yet he couldn't approach her as Atlan, because that would completely demolish everything he'd planned up to this point.

But could he go up as himself?  
Would it really solve anything...?  
Would he REALLY have a chance to win Vivian's heart?

Doopliss took in a deep breath, shook his head, and, just for good measure, socked himself in the face again.

_"I'm gonna do it... I HAVE to do it. I'll never know unless I actually try..."  
_

Doopliss had made up his mind. He was going to wait a half-hour, and then (assuming she was still sitting and waiting there) go talk to her... as himself.  
Doopliss peeked around the building again. How heavy his heart grew when he gazed eyes upon his love...

_"Don't blow it Doopliss. Don't blow it..."_

"Hurry up, Parakarry! Geez, I knew Paratroopas weren't exactly Olympic flyers, but come on!"  
"Well excuuuse me for not bein' able to keep up, Mr Almighty Earth God! Can we just quit bickerin' and find Marinu already?"  
"Oh, alright. Sorry."

Parakarry and Zanthir were flying through the swamp on the western part of Morteva, looking for the Water God, Marinu. The same God that Parakarry had received the Rainbow Relic from after doing a bit of "inside business". In case you forgot, Reinus sent Zanthir and Parakarry to inquire Marinu about how he'd first ingested the Rainbow Relic 1,000 years ago.  
Parakarry's main concern, however, was simply getting this business over with so he could get the Rainbow Relic to Vivian and apologize to her about messing up her delivery. Plus, he wanted to make sure Vivian and Peach were still safe from the clutches of Grodus, Bowser, and... that other guy.  
Zanthir seemed to feel the same way Parakarry did. Zanthir's primary concern, though, was simply getting the Rainbow Relic to Mario's crew. In fact, he seemed kind of obsessed with reaching that goal, and it made Parakarry a wee bit nervous.

"Right then Parakarry," Zanthir said, "I haven't come here to see Marinu in a looong time. You came in here just earlier today, right? Remember where he is?"  
"I probably would be able to lead us there if it weren't so darn dark! It's gotta be almost 8:30 'bout now! Didn't we say we'd be at the Heaven's Bell to meet Mario and Vivian at 9?! We gotta hurry this up now!"  
"We COULD be hurrying if you would just remember where-!"  
Zanthir was cut short when he bumped into something large and heavy. Parakarry flew in quickly to come to his aid. "Zanthir, ya alright??"  
Zanthir managed to recover quickly. "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks..."  
A booming voice then erupted from nearby, shaking the trees and causing the water below to ripple and vibrate. "WHO JUST UP AND SPANKED MY BUTT?!"

Parakarry and Zanthir looked at one another, each raising an eyebrow. They looked up at the massive thing before them that Zanthir had just bumped into.  
"Wait a minute," Parakarry said. "I know that voice..."  
He slowly began to fly around this huge thing, and Zanthir followed closely behind.  
For several seconds they flew...  
Until they reached the thing's face.  
Parakarry smiled. "Hey, it's Marinu! How are ya??"

Marinu's giant, froggish mouth curved up into a smile, too. "Hey there Parakarry! You the one who spanked my butt?"  
Parakarry laughed and shook his head. "Naw, that was just Zanthir here! You're both Gods, right? I reckon you know him, then."  
As if on cue, Zanthir appeared from around Marinu's large body. The two looked at one another, and Marinu's big goofy smile went even bigger. "Heeey, Zanthir!! It's been too long, man! How you been?!"  
Zanthir laughed. "Hey Marinu. I've been alright. Good to see you too!"  
"How are things up there in the Palace?" Marinu asked. "And how's Reinus? He say anything about me the past 1,000 years? Gimme the heads up, will ya?"

"Hmm..." Zanthir thought, "Well, things at the Palace have actually been a wee bit hectic lately. See... you remember the day The Rainbow disappeared, right?"  
"Of course!" Marinu exclaimed. "How could I forget!? I was just down here in the swamp, purifying the water supply like I was supposed to, and then suddenly - BAM! The Rainbow just vanishes outta thin air! Scared the daylights outta me! But... that was 1,000 years ago. What does that have to do with what's goin' on today?"  
"Everything!" Zanthir replied seriously. "You remember what The Rainbow's purpose was, right?"  
"Yeah, keepin' the alien forces of the dark beyond from invadin' Earth while we created life. Why?"  
"Well, for the first time since the Rainbow disappeared, an alien race attempted to take over the Earth! Just a few months ago!"  
Marinu's eyes went wide. "Whoa, really? What happened?!"  
"Well, this heroine named Vivian came and beat 'em up, all by herself!"  
"Vivian, eh? Hmm..."  
"Yeah, and so Reinus sent for Vivian and her friends to come here and find the Rainbow Relics so that nothing like that will ever happen again!"

Marinu nodded slowly. "I see... Say Parakarry, my memory's a bit foggy... Isn't that thing I coughed up and gave to you one of them Rainbow Relics?"  
"That's what Reinus said," Parakarry said, taking the indigo, nose-shaped stone out of his bag and holding it up. "Said it was called the Nose of Knowledge or somethin'..."  
"Oh yeeeahhh!" Marinu said, remembering the name.

"Yeah, about that," Zanthir said, "You see, Reinus sent us here to inquire about how you ingested that thing in the first place."  
Marinu raised an eyebrow. "Huh? Why? You have the Relic, don't you? Why would know need to know?"  
"Well, we fear there's some sort of conspiracy going on concerning the Relics. We feel we may be dealing with a mystery who's answer just may be who first took the Rainbow Relics from their post and for what purpose."  
"Ah, I see..." Marinu said. "In that case, I'll tell you what I remember..."

Marinu cleared his throat and began. "Now, as I said, my memory ain't great, but I know it went somethin' like this. Obviously, this happened around 1,000 years ago. A few days after the Rainbow disappeared, I was still doin' my business in the swamp. I was workin' hard, still tryin' to get over the shock of that. Anyway, while I was workin', this couple came up to me, right? Kind of a freaky lookin' couple, I'd have to say, kinda dark... Anyway, the woman was holding this giant cake, and the man claimed that they came bearing it as a gift to me, the 'Great Water God', or so they called me. Now, my flattery won me out and I promptly took that cake. Hey, can ya blame me? I'm a big guy! Er, frog rather... Anyway, I scarfed that cake down, and I swear there was somethin' really big and hard in that cake. Thinkin' little of it, I swallowed it whole. It was delicious, I tell ya! So I was about to thank the weird couple for it, but I found out they were already gone. How they'd gone away so fast, I got no idea. Like they disappeared or somethin'... Anyway, I continued workin' after that. Then a couple hours later, I started feelin' sick..."  
"Sick?" Zanthir asked.  
"Yup. Awful sick. My stomach hurt, I felt dizzy, I felt nauseous, had bowel pain... Turns out some parasite called Squeamula had invaded my system, and he was crawlin' around my insides, makin' me feel pain all over my body. And for some freakish reason, he could talk. He would crawl into my brain and talk to me from there, taunting me, telling me how he'd breed within me to make me stay sick forever. And for a while, I thought he might be right. For 1,000 years, that bugger made me sick. So sick I couldn't return to the palace to tell Reinus what was wrong with me. I thought it'd be that way forever..."  
Marinu then turned to Parakarry and smiled. "Of course, until Parakarry here came and took care of him, ain't that right!"  
Parakarry smiled. "Ya darn tootin'!"  
"Yup, and then I coughed up the Rainbow Relic not long after, and gave it to Parakarry!"

"So let's see," Zanthir said. "Couple gives you cake, you get sick, Parakarry beats up germ, you cough up Relic..."  
"You know what I think?" Parakarry said. "I think this couple was up to somethin' evil, and they put the Rainbow Relic and that Squeamula parasite in that cake on purpose! That way, you'd have the Relic in your gut, and you wouldn't be able to tell anyone on account of ya bein' so sick! It makes perfect sense! We gotta tell Reinus!"

But Zanthir didn't look quite ready to do that. "Not yet, Parakarry. Let's go get this Rainbow Relic to Vivian right away. It's almost 9."  
"Oh, yeah! That's right!" He then turned to Marinu. "Well, thanks for the info, Marinu! We'll see you later!"  
"Right then, see you later boys! Give my regards to Reinus, alright! And good luck solving this whole mystery!"  
"Thanks!" Zanthir called back. "We will!"

And with that, Parakarry and Zanthir flew from the trees of the swamp lands and into the night sky, flying towards their next destination -The Heaven's Bell.

* * *

_BONG!  
_  
The single chime of the clock tower represented the 30-minute mark of the current hour. In this case, it was now 9:30.  
Doopliss looked up at the clock tower as it chimed. It was now a half-hour past when "Atlan" said he'd be there to meet Vivian. He looked around the corner of the building. There he saw her, still sitting there, waiting. She had looked up at the clock tower as it chimed as well, then back out at the ocean. The look on her face was that of hopelessness...  
Doopliss realized Vivian was beginning to think Atlan wasn't going to show.  
Now was his chance...  
He had to do it.

_"Don't blow it Doopliss. DON'T BLOW IT...!"  
_  
Doopliss began to walk slowly out from behind the building and took one step onto the dock. He looked at Vivian, who sat on her lonely little bench at the far end. He didn't take his eyes off of her. Slowly, he began to walk over to her, his heart beating like a bass drum in his chest. The beat grew faster and faster as he drew closer. He was so nervous he thought it a wonder that she couldn't hear his heart thumping as clearly as she could've heard him speak.  
He walked closer, and closer... Until he was but a few yards away.  
He then stopped, and just stared for a few seconds.  
Vivian was still looking out at the ocean, that depressed, forlorn look on her face...  
Doopliss then saw her look down at her lap and sigh heavily. Then, under her breath, he heard her say, "He's not coming..."

Now was Doopliss's chance. He had to say something.  
He nodded to himself, took a deep breath, and...  
"Heya Vivian."

Vivian's face was struck with alarm, as though she recognized the voice. She turned towards the source of the voice, and saw Doopliss standing there, waving sheepishly.  
"DOOPLISS?!" she cried, sliding down the bench in the opposite the direction. She sat in a defensive position, clearly scared to death.  
Doopliss stopped waving and put his hand down. "Yeah, it's me..."  
Vivian didn't move. "Go away Doopliss! I'm waiting for someone!"  
"Who? Atlan?" Doopliss asked.  
Vivian stared at him, looking rather angry. "Yes, Atlan! Who did you think I was waiting for? _You_?! Besides, I told you never to talk to me about him! Hell, I told you never to talk to me EVER! Now go away! Please!"  
Doopliss closed his eyes and sighed. He held out his hands as a way of saying he meant no harm. "Vivian, listen. I didn't want to scare you. I just thought I should tell you that... Oh boy, I hate to be the one to tell you this..."  
Doopliss took another deep breath and looked down. "...Atlan's gone."

For a brief moment, Vivian looked like she had just been stabbed in the heart. Stabbed in the heart that she didn't have.  
But she then grew angry. "What do you mean 'gone'?! What did you DO to him?!"  
Doopliss took several steps back. "Vivian, trust me! I didn't do a thing! I was just walkin' through town when I saw him on the docks. I decided maybe just to go have a little chat with him, just to see what was up, you know? But then this boat came and... he got on it and..."

Doopliss stopped. He could tell his tale was making Vivian crestfallen.  
Indeed, Vivian WAS crestfallen. Despite how much she desperately wanted to believe that Doopliss was just lying to her, he just spoke so genuinely. She knew he was telling the truth...  
In reality, Doopliss kind of _was_ telling the truth, and he knew it. Well, sure, Atlan didn't REALLY get on a boat and leave the island, but one thing was for certain...  
Atlan was gone.  
And he was never coming back.

Vivian didn't say a word for what seemed like a very long time. She just stared out at the ocean, as though hoping to catch some sight of Atlan's boat, wherever he'd gone...  
But no. She shook her head, repeatedly telling herself 'no'. Doopliss noticed a tear trickle down her cheek that sparkled in the moonlight. Vivian's tears were the bane of Doopliss's well-being. He almost felt like crying himself.  
"I... I'm sorry Vivian..." he said quietly.

Vivian turned to him. Her expression was a bit softer, though it was still clear she didn't really want Doopliss there. She then looked back out at the ocean. "So, I guess you were right then..."  
Doopliss cocked his head to the side. "Huh?"  
"What you said about Atlan last night. I thought you were just pullin' words out of your ass because you were drunk but... I guess it was true what you said. Atlan didn't see me as a potential love. I was just his toy. A toy he got bored with and left to its lonesome. I can't believe you were right..."

Doopliss shrugged. "Well, I usually am right!"  
Vivian's mouth twisted in disgust at that remark. Doopliss had said it as a joke, but it really did sound bad when it came out of his mouth.  
"I'm sorry..." he moaned.

Vivian shook her head. "Yeah, Doopliss, Why ARE you sorry?! Why are you even here?! You have nothing to do with this! Why would you care if Atlan came or not?!"  
Doopliss stared at her in disbelief. "Vivian, come on! I may be a total jerk sometimes, but I'm not one to just stand around and let people's hearts get broken! Especially not yours!"  
Vivian looked at him suspiciously. "What do you mean 'especially not mine'...?"  
Doopliss realized he'd let just a little too much slip out with that one. He closed his eyes and looked away. "Nothing. I just didn't want you to be left hanging like this, alright? Is that such a bad thing?"  
Vivian's tough expression softened a bit yet again. "Well, I guess not." She then quietly added, "...Thanks."  
Doopliss smiled. It was the first time Vivian had ever said anything to him that wasn't totally negative. "No problem."

Vivian looked out at the ocean for a bit, then turned to Doopliss again. "I don't get it... Why are you here in Morteva anyway?"  
Doopliss chuckled. "Hehe, didn't I already answer that last night? _Baby_?"  
Vivian gave him an annoyed smirk. "Ugh, come on! You were drunk! Seriously, why are you here?"  
Doopliss crossed his arms and spoke casually. "Well, work was gettin' kinda tough..."  
"What, the housekeeping?!" Vivian asked in disbelief. "For goodness sake Doopliss, I can think of WAY more stressful jobs!"  
Doopliss looked at her seriously. "Well geez Vivian! I think ANY job under the authority of that female dog of a sister of yours has got to be the most stressful job in the world! That Beldam is one serious piece of work, I tell ya! Always punishin' me for the stupidest shit. I'd think _you_ of all people would understand THAT!"

When Vivian heard Doopliss say that, all the tension in her face and muscles suddenly disappeared. She gazed at Doopliss softly...  
It was so odd, but hearing him say that... It was like something blossomed between them.  
For she felt that she and Doopliss shared something.  
They shared pain...  
A secret pain that no one in the entire world understood, except for them two...

"M-my sister?" Vivian asked quietly.  
Doopliss scoffed. "Pssh! Yeah! Geez, I'm amazed you managed to put up with her all these years! You would not BELIEVE the ways she punishes me if I don't do my work right! I mean, she was pretty bad back when we were still on that whole 'Shadow Queen' quest or whatever, but they seem to have doubled in cruelty since then! What the hell's up with that!?"

Doopliss had progressively moved closer to Vivian's bench as he spoke. He noticed that Vivian didn't make any moves, and merely listened. Feeling comfortable, he was now so close he was touching the bench with his left hand.

Vivian looked up at him sympathetically. "Really? She's punished you, too?"  
"You bet! Worse pain I've ever had the displeasure of tolerating in my LIFE!"  
"Oh my gosh, I KNOW! Beldam's so terrible sometimes..."  
"Tell me about it! You wouldn't believe some of the crap she's done to me!"  
Vivian shook her head. "Oh no, you wouldn't believe some of the ways she's tortured ME..."  
Doopliss looked down at her slyly. "Wanna bet, baby?"  
Vivian shrugged coolly. "Sure! What've you got?"

"Well," Doopliss said, stylishly jumping onto the bench and sitting himself down at the other end, "I forgot to bring the Chinese takeout into the Thousand-Year Door that we were supposed to eat for lunch, and she chained my arms behind my back and pushed me down the stairs! Wasn't pretty..."

"Oh yeah?" Vivian said, scooting over a little closer to Doopliss, "Well I once forgot to show up to an appointment with Grodus, so she made me stand against a wall while she ran a cheese grater down my back 100 times... And she made me count!"  
"Ouch," Doopliss groaned. "But still, she once made me sit with my private area on a pole with two weights hanging from my feet... for 10 minutes! It was pure torture, I tell ya!"  
"Yeesh..." Vivian grimaced. "That's pretty bad... But not as bad as the time she stuck a dozen sheets of flypaper to my hair and ripped them all out one at a time!"  
Doopliss was feeling competitive now. He leaned in close. "Well she once shoved my face in a vat of boiling vinegar!"  
Vivian leaned in close, too. "Well she once stuck her finger down my throat then used her ice magic to give me hypothermia!"  
Doopliss's face was now mere centimeters from Vivian's, and he was lovin' it. "She once made a trained Piranha Plant bite me in the ass!"  
"She once slit the little skin flaps between my fingers with the sharp edge of a manila envelope!"  
"She beat me with a car muffler!"  
"She drove a nail into my side!"  
"She sewed my eyelids open for a whole day!"  
"She sewed My eyelids SHUT for a whole day!"  
"Well she once put scalp-eating beetles in my hat!"  
"Oh my gosh, she did that to me too!"  
"O RLY?"  
"YA RLY!"  
"NO WAI!"  
"YA WAI!"  
"SRSLY?"  
"SRSLY!!"

Vivian and Doopliss then burst into laughter. They laughed so hard tears began to leak from the corners of their eyes. Doopliss plopped his back against the bench and bellowed loudly, and Vivian, barely able to contain own crazed laughter, fell over and felt her head land on Doopliss's lap.

They laughed together for a long time...  
And when they finally settled down, they were silent. Vivian still rested her head on Doopliss's lap, and it didn't seem like she was ready to get up anytime soon. This suited Doopliss just fine. In fact, he felt happier now than he'd ever been in his Atlan disguise. Even more so then when she had kissed him. He wondered why that was...  
Doopliss looked down at Vivian. "You know, I think this is the first time I've ever heard you laugh..."  
Vivian chuckled. "Really?"  
"Yeah... You have a cute laugh."  
"Mmmm... thanks."

Silence.  
A beautiful silence.

"...I wonder what my sister's doing right now..." Vivian finally said softly.  
"Well, at least she's not anywhere near us," Doopliss cracked. "But hey, if she ever tries to do anything to you again, just gimme a call! I'll show that old hag what for, know what I'm sayin'?"  
Vivian laughed again.  
"I'd never let anything happen to you Vivian..." he finished.  
Vivian turned her head and looked up at him seriously. "Thanks Doopliss. That's nice of you. But... I still don't understand. Did you really come here to Morteva just to get away from Beldam?"

Doopliss stared back down at her.  
If he told her the truth now, it would ruin this precious moment... I mean, she was lying in his lap, for goodness sake! This was too good to just let go!  
"No, I have other reasons..." he said, smiling. "But I'll leave those up to your imagination to figure out."

"Hmhmm... OK..." she said, returning the smile.  
Vivian and Doopliss continued to sit on the bench, gazing out at the moonlit ocean.

_Nice, Doopliss...Ya didn't blow it...!_

Vivian sat with her head still resting on Doopliss's lap. While lying there, she began to think... So much had happened that day. Some things great, some things terrible... They had found 3 Rainbow Relics in a single day, yet on the other hand, Vivian had killed a Cheep-Cheep and so many innocent children. Just thinking about these things made her eyes water...  
She could only imagine how the parents of those children felt. They would probably demand to know who had ended the life of their poor little boy or girl. Mr Warburton would probably just say it was an accident or something, because as he'd said, he probably wouldn't want the public knowing that he'd allowed a murderer into his school.  
Vivian couldn't deny it. She was a murderer. Yet she didn't know why.  
And it scared her...

Doopliss shifted a little. "Geez Viv, you droolin' on me or what?"  
Vivian then realized she'd been crying, and her tears had run down her face and onto Doopliss's sheet/body/whatever. She quickly lifted her head and turned away from him. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was just..."  
Doopliss could hear a distinct quiver in your voice. "You... Were you cryin'?"  
Vivian was too choked up to say anything, so she just nodded.  
Doopliss snorted. "C'mon Viv, my lap isn't THAT uncomfortable!"  
"No, it has nothing to do with you..." Vivian assured him.  
"Well, that's good, I guess," Doopliss said. "Ehh, well... I'm kinda feelin' a bit tired, so I'm headin' back to the Heaven's Bell. Wanna come with? We can talk on the way or somethin'..."  
Vivian looked somewhat reluctant to accept Doopliss's offer, but she eventually nodded. Together, the two got up and began to walk back into town towards the Heaven's Bell resort.

"So, tell me why you cry," Doopliss said sympathetically.  
Vivian shuddered. " Well, it's just... a lot of stuff has happened to me today, and... I dunno, it's really depressing. Not that you care, but..."  
Doopliss sighed in frustration. He placed his hand on Vivian's shoulder. "Viv, come on. Look at me."  
Vivian slowly turned around to face him, wondering what he was so intent on telling her.  
"Viv, I know I've done some very, very terrible things to you. But the truth is, I never wanted to hurt you. The Crystal Star, it... I dunno, it just totally took control of my mind, and suddenly it became all about the Crystal Star and how it was all mine. I felt like Gollum, ya know? All like, 'Oogh! My pwecious!' and crap. I was so obsessed with that thing that I pretty much tried to kill anything that came near it. And that included you and Mario..."  
Doopliss spoke in such a genuine tone that Vivian knew right away that he was being serious. "You... You didn't really want to hurt us...?"  
"No, of course not! Heck, if I'd met you guys before finding that damn thing, I'd have probably welcomed ya'll with open arms! Got kinda lonely up there in the Creepy Steeple. You know, honestly, I think you guys beating the crap outta me and taking the Crystal Star was probably the best thing that's ever happened to me!"  
His tone grew serious and apologetic once again. "Believe me Vivian, I never wanted to hurt you, and I'll understand if you and your friends never forgive me, but... All I can say is, I'm sorry..."

Vivian seemed to be getting what he was saying, but another thought then struck her mind. "But Doopliss, if the Crystal Star is what drove you to try and kill us, why did you fight us again with my sisters in the Palace of Shadow, even after we took the Crystal Star from you?"  
Doopliss was about to say something, but then was suddenly at a loss for words. He of course knew that the reason he'd joined the Shadow Sirens was so that maybe he could see Vivian again...  
But he couldn't tell that to her, could he?  
No, not yet. He had to make something up.  
"Oh, well... I was still kinda under the Crystal Star's spell, so I still didn't really know what I was doin'..."  
Vivian gave him a look as though she didn't fully believe what he was saying, but she eventually just went with it and nodded. "Oh, OK..." She then smiled a little. "You know, Doopliss... I appreciate you telling me that. Otherwise, I think I'd probably hate you forever. And umm... I'm actually kinda glad it was all just a big misunderstanding, cuz..."  
"Cuz what?" Doopliss asked, dying to hear the rest.  
Vivian smiled shyly. "Well, cuz... you're a pretty nice guy."

Doopliss's heart swelled with happiness. With an excited expression, he turned to her. "R-really? You think I'm a pretty nice guy?"  
Vivian laughed. "Hehe, well you seem pretty excited to hear that!"  
Doopliss nodded. "Well, it's just good to know I've finally gotten through to you!"  
Vivian nodded too. And in fact, that conversation pretty much ended there when the two found themselves walking through the entrance of the Heaven's Bell.

Vivian and Doopliss walked through the resort's corridors to the door of Room 13. Once there, Doopliss kind of backed off a bit. Vivian looked at him curiously. "What's wrong?"  
Doopliss shook his head. "Umm, I don't think the guys in there will really understand if they saw you hangin' out with me, ya know?"  
Vivian figured he was right, but she didn't seem worried. "Well, that's OK! We can explain everything to them."  
"But why?" Doopliss asked. "It's not like they'll really care..."  
"Oh, sure they will! They're good people, you know that! Mario's always willing to make a new friend, even if its an old enemy. I mean, just look at me! I was once his enemy too, ya know..."  
Doopliss looked at the ground nervously. "Naw, I don't I wanna..."  
Vivian was confused. "Really? You sure you don't wanna be friends with everyone?" She then smiled slyly. "Or do you just wanna be friends with ME?"  
Doopliss chuckled. "Yeah... I just wanna be friends with _you_ for now!"

"_Yeah, just you... I wanna be more than friends. Forever..._"

Vivian laughed too. "OK, fine! But I'll let them know you're here!"  
Doopliss sighed nervously. "Yeah, sure. Go ahead..."  
"K, bye!" she said sweetly.  
"Yeah, bye..." he answered as she opened the door to her room and floated in.

Once she did, Doopliss opened the door to his own room and walked in slowly. Man, how unbelievable had this night been? Vivian trusted him... And she said she thought he was a pretty nice guy! ZING!  
Of course, if it hadn't been for his little Atlan lie, he probably never would've gotten a chance to even talk to her.  
As Doopliss plopped down on the bed, he realized perhaps he did owe Atlan a pretty big thanks after all...

* * *

Vivian floated into Room 13, and saw everyone stop what they were doing for a second and look up at her.  
"Why hello Vivian!" Flurrie exclaimed. "So, how did your little date with Atlan go?"  
"He didn't show," she said quietly. "Evidently he got on a boat earlier today and took off. I guess he didn't really love me after all..."  
"Oh, poor dear..." Ms Mowz said sympathetically. "Your feelings aren't hurt too bad, are they?"  
"No, not really," Vivian said. "Looks like he was a total jerk anyway."  
"Well, you sure waited for him a long time," Flurrie observed. "Did you find someone else to talk to, perhaps?"

Vivian smiled a little. "Well, yeah..."  
Ms Mowz and Flurrie looked at one another. "Who was it?" asked Ms Mowz.  
"Well," Vivian said. "Let's just say it's someone we all misunderstood..."

Goombella jumped up onto one of the beds. "Well, that's good! In any case, we gotta practice for the karaoke! It's starting in, like, 10 minutes!"  
Koops laughed. "Oh, c'mon Goombella! Karaoke isn't something you practice for! If it was, we'd have a lot better karaoke singers in general, lemme tell you!"  
"I'd have to agree," said Bobbery. "Besides, I do say I doubt 10 minutes of practicing will help much with your singing abilities, old girl."  
Goombella rolled her eyes. "Ugh, fine. I'll wait it out, you bunch of babies!"  
Verdugo frowned. "Yo, I resent that!

Vivian looked around the room for Mario. She really needed to talk to him, but she didn't see him in the room. "Hey guys, where's Mario?"  
Peach pointed to the bathroom door. "He's in there. He's been in there for almost an hour. Last he told me, he was treating that burn around his neck."  
"Oh..." Vivian moaned. There was a very deep silence in the room after that. Vivian wondered if she should even talk to him right then. He still must've been very upset. Maybe she could wait until after the karaoke...?

No. Waiting until then to talk to Mario would've been too awkward, she realized. She decided it was best just to talk to him now...

Vivian floated over to the bathroom door and knocked lightly.  
"_I'm in here," _she heard Mario say.  
"I know, Mario," Vivian replied. "It's me, Vivian."  
There was a rather long silence.  
"_What do you want?" _he asked.  
"Mario, please. I just wanna talk to you..."  
"_I'm in the bathroom, Vivian. I'm BUSY. We can talk later_."  
"But we can talk now, too..."  
Silence again.  
Vivian was beginning to grow impatient, so she did what she did best. She slipped underneath the shadows.

Vivian poked her head up from the bathroom floor and saw Mario looking in the mirror, dabbing something on the burn wound around his neck. Realizing he wasn't doing anything _too_ private, she rose up from her shadow, not saying a word.  
When Mario saw her reflection in the mirror, he jumped and stumbled away from her, nearly falling over in the process. He looked at her rather annoyed. "Vivian, what the hell-?!"  
"Mario," she said calmly. "Please, listen to me..."  
Mario struggled to stand upright, and once he did, he stared at Vivian with one eyebrow raised, as though thinking about walking out of the room right then and there.  
But eventually, Mario sighed and scooted past Vivian towards the toilet. He sat down on the lid and looked up at her. "OK, I'm listening," he said, picking the Vaseline container off the counter and continuing to apply it to his wound. "What do you wanna talk about?"

Vivian sat herself down on the rim of the bathtub across from Mario. She stared at the burn on Mario's neck. It made her so depressed to see Mario trying to treat an injury that she herself had evidently caused him. Never in a million years would she even dream of hurting Mario after how much he had done for her.  
"That burn..." she said, stroking her own neck. "Did I really do that to you?"  
Mario simply nodded and continued to stare, waiting for her to say the rest.  
"...And I really killed all those poor little kids...?" she asked, already starting to feel the hot tears building up behind her eyes.  
"Yeah. You did..." Mario said quietly.

Vivian shook her head. "I don't believe it..."  
Mario sighed. "We all saw it happen, Vivian! And to be honest, _I _find it hard to believe that you had no idea what you were doing. Really, I do!"

Vivian looked up at him seriously. "Hard to believe...? Mario, you know me! I would never hurt an innocent person! Never! How could it be so hard to believe that something's happening to me that I don't understand?"  
"Well, seeing is believing..." Mario said, not taking his eyes of her.  
Vivian breathed deeply. "No Mario, I don't think so. I think sight is the most deceitful of all the senses. It's what you FEEL that should matter..."  
Mario raised his eyebrow again. "Oh, yeah? You think so? Well, lemme tell you, this burn around my neckFEELS pretty damn real to me!"

Vivian felt a severe rush of frustration rise up her body. Why would Mario not believe her? Why would he not support her? They trusted one another, like friends should... right?  
Vivian's frustration could've been released as violence, and Vivian knew it.  
But no. If found another way to let it out - Through her tears. This day had just been a teary event after another.  
"Mario..." she gasped. "Please believe me..."  
When Mario didn't answer for a long time, she admitted the plain truth.  
"I'm scared Mario. I'm scared..."

When Mario heard those words, the tension and suspicion all but left his face. He looked at Vivian with soft, sympathetic eyes.  
What was it about those two words... "I'm scared"... That immediately made him realize that Vivian wasn't lying in the slightest bit?  
At that moment, Mario suddenly felt like crying alongside her. He got up from his seat on the toilet and took a seat next to Vivian on the bathtub rim. He put his arm around her and rocked her gently, almost like a caring father would do to his daughter. Vivian immediately buried her face in his chest and continued to cry.  
Mario sighed. "I'm sorry Vivian. I'm scared too. Seeing you do all that... And seeing you do that to me... Probably one of the scariest things I ever witnessed in my life. I'm sorry I didn't believe you. I was just scared, too. I still am..."  
Vivian lifted her head and looked at him. "Oh, thank you Mario..."  
Mario smiled. "Hey, I'm your friend, aren't I? I'll always be there for ya!"

After a little more silence, Mario began to reach into his pocket. "You know Vivian, I wasn't sure when would be a good time to tell you about this, but... I figure it may be a good time now..."  
Vivian became curious. "Tell me about what?"  
Mario pulled the Crystal Ball out of his pocket and showed it to her. It was filled with that freaky purplish smoke. "Oh..." she said. "The Crystal Ball. The one that prints the Rainbow Relic symbols on the Map and adds new verses to The Poem, right? What about it?"  
"Well..." Mario said. "You see, I noticed a connection between your occasional deadly behavior and the smoke within this ball..."  
Vivian looked at Mario, frightened. "R-really?! What is it?!"

Mario stared at the shifting mist within the ball. "It's so odd, but... I remember I first noticed it when you went crazy on that Cheep-Cheep in the Ninja Dome. When you became all evil and shit, I noticed the smoke in the ball was gone. Then, when I noticed you were back to, shall we say, 'normal', the smoke had returned..."  
Vivian stared at the smoke-filled ball as well as Mario spoke, completely intrigued. "Did... Did the same thing happen at-"  
"Warburton's Boarding School?" Mario finished her sentence. "Yeah. I happened there too. I have no idea what it means though. What IS this thing's connection to you...?"  
Vivian shook her head. "I have no idea... But to be honest, I don't really like the look of that smoke. It reminds me of that mist that was always surrounding the Shadow Queen..."

Mario studied the mist more closely, and realized Vivian was absolutely right. It did, in fact, look just like that mist that protruded from the Shadow Queen's body.  
"You know, if I had to guess right now," Mario said, "I'd say that this smoke... Isn't smoke at all. It's some sort of evil spirit that occasionally leaves the Crystal Ball to possess your body, and then reenters when it feels like it. That would probably explain why the smoke is gone from the ball when you're evil, and back in there when you're normal again."  
Vivian stared at the mist in fear. "Oh my gosh... Do you really think so?"  
Mario closed his eyes and nodded. "It seems to fit, I'm afraid..."

Vivian then stood up firmly. "Mario. Something's REALLY wrong here..."  
Mario stood up too, startled by Vivian's sudden action. "Well, that's obvious Vivian, but still-"  
"No, you don't understand!" Vivian cried. "If that thing in the Crystal Ball really is evil... Mario, that THING is telling us where the Rainbow Relics are! AND it's telling us The Poem every time we find a new Relic! Doesn't that strike you as odd?"  
Mario stroked his chin. Indeed, it was an odd thought. This possibly evil being... helping them find the Rainbow Relics? And telling them The Poem...?  
Could it by chance mean that this being was... good?  
No, Vivian's occasional deadly behavior pretty much disproved that theory.  
How strange...

Mario sighed. "Look, don't worry Vivian. Once we find all the Rainbow Relics, we'll understand just what all this is about, OK?"  
Vivian shook her head. "No, Mario!! If this thing is really trying to lead us to the Relics, couldn't it possibly mean that it's trying to lure us all into some sort of trap? I mean, think about it! You remember the latest poem verse... It said _'When the Rainbow Relics are back in their post, they'll bring the world's end' _or something..."  
Mario looked down. "But that makes no sense! The Rainbow Relics are supposed to protect the world, not end it!"

Vivian sighed. "Mario, why are we even on this quest anyway?"  
Mario looked at her in a funny way. "So we can get The Rainbow back in the sky to protect against outside aliens... What, you forget already?"  
"No!" Vivian said roughly. "I mean for _whom_ are we doing this for?! WHO sent us on this quest in the first place?!"  
Mario was still staring at her like she was crazy. "Reinus..."  
"No," Vivian said, shaking her head yet again. "Reinus didn't send me that letter and those boarding passes. Reinus didn't say the X-naut threat was a big deal. Reinus didn't say searching for the Rainbow Relics was even high on his priority list. REINUS didn't make me out to be some kind of great hero to bring me here... It was that messenger guy! That goddamn messenger tried to lure me here, and like an idiot I took the bait! And I dragged all of you guys into this too! Now, I don't know who that guy is, if he has any connection to this Crystal Ball spirit or WHAT, but..."

Vivian had to take a deep breath. "Mario... Something really bad is coming our way. I know it... There are so many signs telling us to just stop this quest right now, but we're just not seeing them! Well, you know what? I'm seeing them now, and I really think we should pay attention to them..."  
She stared at Mario deeply, her face absolutely filled with fear. "Mario, please. Let's just... stop this quest right now and go home. Before something terrible happens..."

Mario thought about what Vivian said for a long time. Indeed, everything she said seemed to make sense. But still, a huge part of him still thought maybe they could uncover the secret to this whole mystery by finding the Rainbow Relics, and still manage to outrun whatever cataclysm Vivian claimed was coming their way...  
Mario then sighed. "...I'll think about it."  
Vivian stared at him, her expression dead serious. "Promise me you will."  
Mario nodded. "I promise."  
Vivian then smiled. "Thank you Mario..."

* * *

The Heaven's Bell bar was completely filled with cheering and jeering vacationers and locals alike, all looking for a good time. The stage was complete with karaoke machine, lighting, and a word projector that displayed the song's lyrics for anyone who dared get up on stage and sing!  
The DJ didn't allow the singers to pick their songs. Instead, he would play the intro to a song of his choosing, and anyone who more or less knew the words could volunteer to sing it. Also, a singer could volunteer to sing before a song was even selected, in which case the DJ would pick a random song for them, whether they knew it or not! Few dared to do this, but they were usually the funniest ones to watch on stage!

Mario and the gang entered the bar while a Toad was on stage singing "I'm Too Sexy". He was finished shortly after they arrived (thankfully) and took their seat at one of the tables. Once they were set, Goombella looked around. "Oh wow! There's like, SO many people here! I don't know if I'm brave enough to go up there and sing..."  
"Well, you'd better work up the courage," Mario said while laughing, "Cuz we're all goin' up there and singing at least once tonight!"  
When Mario said that, the whole rest of the party exchanged worried glances. To all of them, Mario's word was law.

When the Toad got off the stage, the DJ laughed over the microphone. "Yo, that was some hot stuff right there! Alright, got any willing volunteers? No? That's cool then. Lemme play a sample of the next song on my list..."  
And with that, the intro to Ricky Martin's 'She Bangs' began to play.  
Verdugo jumped up. "Oh! Oh yeah! I know this song! Yeah, I'm SO goin' up there!" As Verdugo began to run up towards the stage, Peach grabbed and stopped him. "No Verdugo!" she cried. "You're just a baby! You're WAY to young to be singing songs like that."  
Verdugo raised an eyebrow. "Songs like what? 'She Bangs' isn't a bad song or nothin'. It's just about a girl holdin' a gun or something, right?"  
Mario sat back and crossed his arms. "Nooo, it's worse than that... But what the hell! Head on up there, little man!"  
"All RIGHT! Thanks Gonzales!" Verdugo exclaimed, running rapidly up to the stage.  
The DJ was shocked to see little Verdugo run up onto the stage. "Whoa, look at this little dude! So, you ready to sing 'She Bangs' for us, are ya squirt!"  
Verdugo grabbed the microphone and got ready. "Hit it, DJ!"

And with that, the song started, and Verdugo sang his heart out. The crowd went wild with laughter and cheers and Verdugo sang the words.

_"She bangs! She bangs!  
Oh baby, when she moves! She moves!  
I go crazy!  
Well she looks like a flower but she stings like a bee!  
Like every girl in history!..."  
_  
When the song was over, Verdugo did an enthusiastic bow to his cheering audience and ran down to meet with Mario and the gang again. "Hey guys, how'd I do?!" he asked excitedly.  
Koops chuckled. "William Hung would be proud, Verdugo."

After seeing Verdugo's, err... grand performance, the rest of Mario's party then got the courage to go up and sing themselves. However, seeing as they all felt bold enough to go up on stage before the DJ even chose a song, they usually got stuck with some odd song choices. Even so, they all did surprisingly well.

Mario and Peach agreed to sing a duet together, and were somewhat surprised that the song the DJ chose for them was "Barbie Girl" by Madonna. It was a very funny performance to say the least. Peach sang Madonna's part with a little difficulty, but Mario's 'Ken' was enough to fill in any errors. The ending was especially funny...

"_Oh, I'm having so much fun!"  
"Well Barbie, we're just getting started! Heh heh, alriiight!"_

"_Oh, I love you Mari- I mean, Ken!"  
_  
Bobbery went up next, and was very surprised to hear that the DJ's choice for him was Weird Al's "Amish Paradise". Bobbery didn't know the words to the song, but he had heard the song "Gangsta Paradise" many a time (don't ask why), so all he had to do was remember that melody and read the words on the lyrics projector. His thick British accent fit the song pretty well, but since the song's words were new to him, he found himself laughing on stage a wee bit more than singing. XD

Koops went up next. His song? "Beat It", by Michael Jackson. Like most people when it comes to songs, Koops was really only able to sing the chorus, and even what little he did sing wasn't great because, well... Koops knew himself that he was a terrible singer! However, his breakdancing skills to match Michael's were enough to make the crowd go totally nuts, earning him a humongous applause.

Because Goombella was too afraid to go on stage alone, she urged Flurrie, Ms Mowz and Vivian to go with her. When the DJ saw all four girls go up, he immediately knew the perfect song for them - "Lady Marmalade" by Christina Aguilera, Pink, Mya, and Lil' Kim. Their performance was actually very energetic and fun to watch, especially Goombella herself. Her not-so-womanly voice didn't fit the song well, but she did know the words. Flurrie and Ms Mowz tended to sing as a duet, though they had their solo moments. Their voices were deep and filled with feminine sophistication, so they worked out very nicely. Vivian's voice was undoubtedly the best, despite the fact that she'd had little prior experience in singing. Therefore, since she knew the words, she lent her voice to the solo parts sung by Christina Aguilera. After the song was over, they got a huge applause, especially from the men.

After that, everyone in Mario's party continuously complimented Vivian's excellent singing voice and urged her to go up and sing a song on her own. Vivian didn't even realize how good of a singer she was until even the DJ himself said it over the loudspeaker. Feeling confident, she went up on the stage.  
The DJ decided to choose something slow, but meaningful and deep for her to sing, so he chose Green Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams".  
Vivian's female voice wasn't at all comparable to the real singer's punkish voice, but it still sounded great. Her voice was hauntingly beautiful, and for the first time during the whole night, the crowd was completely silent, and just listening.

"_I walk a lonely road,_

_The only one that I have ever known..._

_Don't know where it goes,_

_But it's only me, and I walk alone..."  
_

When Vivian finished, the ensuing applause was the loudest heard that entire night. Vivian was smiling and blushing as she made her way down back to the table.

* * *

Doopliss ran up to the reception desk in a hurry. The female Toad looked up from her computer at him. "May I help you, sir?"  
Doopliss cleared his throat. "Um, yeah. Have you seen a guest lately that looks kinda like a purple ghost in a witch's hat? I need to confess something to her! Right away!"

The Toad woman looked at him in a funny way. "Um, no. I don't recall seeing anyone like that... However, she may be in the bar right now. They're doing karaoke in there. Just go through this door over here and it'll take you straight there!"  
"OK, thank you!" he exclaimed, running through the door.

A minute later, Parakarry flew into the building. He flew up to the reception desk, interrupting the Toad woman's work once again. "Excuse me miss, have you seen a girl that looks like a purple ghost in a witch's hat lately? There's somethin' I gotta give ta her! Please hurry, my friend Zanthir's waitin' outside!"  
The Toad woman raised an eyebrow. "Umm... well, she may be in the bar right now. They're doing karaoke in there. Just go through this door over here and it'll take you straight there..."  
"Alrighty! Thanks!" he exclaimed, flying at full speed through the door. The Toad woman rolled her eyes and continued her work.

Bowser and Crump then ran in from a hallway and up to the reception desk. "Hey you!" Crump ordered the woman. "Tell us where Vivian is! She's a girl that looks like a purple ghost in a witch's hat!"  
"Yeah! And tell us where to find Princess Peach to!!" Bowser demanded.  
The Toad woman sighed heavily and didn't say anything. She merely pointed to the door.  
"Um, thanks!" they yelled simultaneously, proceeding to trip over one another while running through the door.

Doopliss found himself running through a dark hallway that one might expect to find behind a stage. What the heck? Where was the bar that woman had spoken of? Where was Vivian supposed to be?  
His thoughts were cut short when he ran through a lit opening and found himself standing on a stage in front of a crowded bar. He let out an audible "What the hell?"  
He then heard the sound of flapping wings...  
And out from the same opening he'd just run through came Parakarry, the postman he'd seen many times before.  
"Parakarry? What are you doing here?" Doopliss asked.  
Parakarry looked around, confused. "Umm... Where am I? What's goin' on here...?"  
Doopliss and Parakarry then heard two more voices coming from behind the stage...  
And out stumbled Bowser and Crump. They stood up and suddenly stopped arguing about whatever it was they were arguing about. They, too, looked completely dumbfounded.

"What the...? What's all this?" Bowser wondered.  
"Are we on stage?" Crump asked. "What for?!"

The DJ then spoke. "Well, what have we here? Looks like four guys have accidentally stumbled onstage! Well, whether they meant to or not, they're still onstage! That means they gotta sing! Ain't I right?!"  
The crowd went crazy. Doopliss, Parakarry, Bowser and Crump all looked at one another, completely confused and nervous. They had to SING? Oh boy.  
Then the music started...  
And Parakarry moaned when he recognized it. "Aw HELL no..."

_The YMCA! _o.0

Doopliss, Parakarry, Bowser and Crump all stood in a row, in that order. And they all had the same thoughts running through their mind as they stood up on that stage, in front of all those drunken loons waiting for them to sing the YMCA...  
"Oh SHIT!!"  
The lyrics then started. All four of them pointed out their fingers and slowly swept across the audience, just as they all unfortunately knew they had to.

_Young man! There's no need to feel down.  
I said, young man! Pick yourself off the ground. _

_I said, young man! Cuz you're in a new town.  
There's no need - to - be - un-happy!_

_Young man! There's a place you can go.  
I said, young man! When you're short on your dough.  
You can stay there! And I'm sure you will find  
Many ways - to - have - a - good time!_

_DUN! DUN! DUN! DUN! DUN!_

_It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A!  
It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A!_

During these parts, the four guys each made their corresponding letter with their arms. Doopliss did the 'Y', Parakarry the 'M', Bowser the 'C', and Crump the 'A'. The crowd went wild at this part!

_"They have everything for you men to enjoy!  
You can hang out with all the boys!_

_It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A!  
It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A!_

_You can get yourself clean! You can have a good meal!  
You can do whatever you feeeel!"_

Doopliss was actually having a little bit of fun, but the song's subliminal 'messages' made him very uncomfortable to be up there. Nonetheless, he did his best performance (whatever THAT entails...)  
Parakarry felt more or less the same way, but he wasn't too clear on the song's inside story like Doopliss was. Thereby, he was somewhat surprised to see many men in the audience giving him very enthusiastic thumbs ups!  
Bowser was having a blast. YMCA was one of his favorite songs.  
Crump was so frickin' nervous up there he was about ready to crap his pants. His singing sucked and his moves weren't smooth. If he didn't have the others up there to carry the performance, he'd have probably been stoned.

_"Y-M-C-A ... you'll find it at the Y-M-C-A._

_Young man! Young man! There's no need to feel down!  
Young man! young man! Get yourself off the ground!_

_Y-M-C-A ... you'll find it at the Y-M-C-A._

_Young man, young man! Are you listening to me?  
Young man, young man! What do you wanna be!?_

_Y-M-C-A ... you'll find it at the **Y-M-C-A**__!!"_

When the song was brought to its fabulous end, all four of the guys held their arms in the shape of their respective letter, spelling out 'YMCA' on the stage. The crowd threw flowers and beer bottles on the stage, and some of the men were really cheering loudly.  
Doopliss was feeling proud, if a bit awkward.  
Parakarry was proud too, but still confused about all the male attention he was getting.  
Bowser had never felt more alive in his life.  
Crump had soiled himself. --;  
But yes, they were a hit. The Village People of the Morteva is what they would be forever known as. w00t!

Even while up there, though, all four of the were scanning the audience for any sign of Mario or his party. They were all looking for the same person... plus Bowser and Crump were additionally looking for Peach. However, it was impossible to see anyone in particular with all the jumping and hollering hooligans.  
Doopliss was looking especially hard. Where was Vivian? He desperately needed to find her. Near the back, he spotted someone in a rep cap and overalls...  
Mario?! That must mean...  
Yes! At that same table! There sat his love, Vivian! And she was looking straight at him! The expression on her face was questionable, but still he still saw her! He had to make some sort of shout-out!  
"Hey Vivian!" he shouted. "VIVIAN! Up here!!"  
He saw Vivian crack a faint smile and wave. Mario's party all turned to her, and then spoke to her as though wondering why Doopliss had acknowledged her. Heck, they were probably wondering why on earth Doopliss was even in Morteva at the same time as they were! She looked like she was explaining something back to them as well. Maybe she was explaining to them that he wasn't a bad guy? Oh, he hoped so!

However, his happy thoughts were soon shattered when Bowser let out a huge roar. "VIVIAN?!" he growled. "Where is she?! If Vivian's here, that must mean PEACH is here too! Where do you seen 'em, ghost boy?!"  
Doopliss realized his mistake and quickly covered his mouth. Of course, it was too late for that...  
Parakarry suddenly looked very concerned as well. Did he, too, know that Bowser and Crump were after Peach and Vivian?  
Evidently, he did. Flashing an angry look at Doopliss, Parakarry called out to the audience at the top of his lungs. "Vivian! Peach! Wherever you are in here! Run! Run away! Bowser 'n Crump are huntin' for you! And so is Grodus! Peach, Bowser wants to kidnap you! And Vivian, Grodus wants to KILL you! RUN!!"

Crump knocked Parakarry to the ground. "Shut up, ya stupid bird thing!! You're blowin' our cover!!"  
He then jumped off the stage and into the audience, looking frantically for Mario and co. Bowser hopped off right behind him, badly frightening many people in the crowd and causing them to run amuck. While Crump and Bowser rampaged around in the bar looking for Mario, they didn't realize that Mario and his friends had already escaped from the bar in the fiasco and were running back to their room. Doopliss had followed them out, and Parakarry did so as well not long after. They both had their reasons to find and speak to Mario's team as fast as possible...

* * *

Mario threw the door to Room 13 open and allowed everyone in before promptly slamming it shut behind him. Once they were all in the quiet hotel room, they all plopped down on the beds, breathing heavily. That was definitely one of the weirdest things any of them had ever experienced.  
"Doopliss, Parakarry, Bowser and Crump singing the YMCA..." Koops moaned. "Scariest thing I've ever seen in my LIFE."  
"Ugh... Talk about a dramatic childhood," Verdugo said to himself.

Mario was the only one that wasn't sitting on a bed. He was pacing around the room, sweating and panting heavily. He was clearly thinking hard about something.  
"What the hell...? Doopliss, Parakarry, Bowser, Crump... And did Parakarry mention Grodus, too? Have they all been here with us in Morteva the entire time?! But why? What business do any of THEM have here?"  
"Well," Peach said, "Parakarry said Bowser was here to kidnap me, and Grodus and Crump were here to kill Vivian... right?"  
Vivian nodded slowly. Why did it seem like every evil force in the world was always out to get her? What had she ever done to deserve any of this?  
"Yeah, true." Mario muttered. "But why was Parakarry even here in the first place? And Doopliss...? Vivian, he called out to you, right? Did you know he was here?"  
Vivian nodded again. "Yeah, but I told you already - he has no bad intentions. He was only evil because of the Crystal Star, and he doesn't have it anymore..."  
"Sure was pretty dumb of him to call out your name while Bowser and Crump were on stage with him, don't you think?" Mario asked, a bit of distrust in his voice.  
Vivian shook her head. "Maybe he didn't know the bad guys were after us..."  
"Then why was he up there singing with them?" Mario asked. "Seems to me like he might be on their side... Hell, maybe even Parakarry too! Ugh! I'm not sure what to think!"

At that moment, there was a pounding on the main door.  
The next moment, there was a pounding on the glass sliding door that led out to the patio. It made everyone jump.  
The only one with enough guts to answer either knocking was Mario. He looked back and forth between the main door and the patio glass door, which was covered up by the blinds. Who could be beyond either door...? Perhaps Parakarry? He did warn them that Bowser, Crump, and even Grodus were after them, so he must've known something about their plot. Maybe he came to explain more...?  
Maybe Doopliss? He didn't seem to have anything to do with anything, but he WAS the one who blurted out their position in the bar for Bowser and Crump to find. He may have come to do just that again... But, if what Vivian said about him was true, he was probably there to apologize. But that didn't seem like something Doopliss would do, so he was probably there for a bad purpose.  
Bowser and Crump, perhaps? Maybe even Grodus as well? Whatever their ambitions were, they wanted Peach and Vivian. But that didn't make sense. How would they know what room they were in?  
Hell, how would ANY of them know what room they were in?

Before his brain could explode, Mario suddenly dashed for the glass sliding door and threw open the blinds.  
There was Parakarry, hovering in front of the glass, getting ready to knock again. When he saw Mario through the glass, he motioned for the lock. Mario, who was quite relieved, unlocked it and slid the door open. Parakarry flew in. "Hey ever'body!"  
Everyone gave an enthusiastic 'Hey Parakarry!" For goodness sake, everybody knew Parakarry! He was probably the only postman in the world!  
"Yo Parakarry, nice performance up there," Verdugo mocked. "How'd it feel singin' with that buncha loons?"  
Parakarry grimaced. "It was... odd, to say the least... But whatever, that's not why I'm here!"  
"But Parakarry," Mario said, "We'd really like to know how you knew Bowser and Crump were after us. You sure sounded like you knew what was going on."  
"I'll get to that in a minute," he answered. "But right now, I gotta do what I came all the way to this land of Morteva for..."

Parakarry scanned the room and saw Vivian sitting on one of the beds. She looked happy to see him.  
However, the look on her face became one of concern when he slowly flew over to her with a sad face.  
He hovered right in front of her, then plopped down on the ground on one knee.  
"Vivian, I... I came all the way to the island looking fer you because... I have something I truly need to express to you..."  
Vivian looked down at him funny. "Umm... OK..."  
"No, please!" Parakarry urged. "I understand how you must feel right now, so please... Just let me speak. You see Vivian, I..."  
Bobbery had trotted over to watch this rather odd scene. "Goodness, old boy. Are you going to propose?!"  
Parakarry turned his head roughly and stared at Bobbery. "NO, I'm not proposing! Now, if you'll excuse me..."  
Parakarry looked back up at Vivian, who was still feeling a bit weirded out. "Vivian, I'm gonna be straightforward with ya. I'm terribly sorry, but... I lost the Elation boarding pass I was supposed to give to yer friend Bobbery! OH, the shame! Please, I know how sad you must be that he couldn't come with you, but the guilt in my heart is far worse than any sadness you can muster! PLEASE, STOP CRYIN'!! Can you just find it in your heart to forgive a failure of a postman like me!? Oh, please! Forgive me...!"

Parakarry then grabbed Vivian and began to cry heavily. He cried for a little while, but he then realized that no one was saying anything.

He stopped and looked Vivian in the eyes - or rather, the curl of hair over her eyes.  
Vivian gave a shy smile. "Well, I appreciate your willingness to come all this way and apologize but..."  
"But you don't forgive me?!" Parakarry interrupted.  
"No, it's not that..." Vivian replied. "It's just that... Bobbery's right here!"

Parakarry then appeared struck with confusion. "HUH?!"  
He looked down at Bobbery, who was still standing there. "Right-o, old chap! I've been here the entire time! I've no idea what makes you think I didn't get my Elation pass! I have it right here!" Bobbery held it up for Parakarry to see. Parakarry stared in disbelief.  
"S-so wait... All ya'll have your passes?"  
Everyone nodded.  
Parakarry shook his head roughly. "No no no! This makes no sense! I swear to you I lost one while I was flyin' over the sea lookin' fer Bobbery's ship! It was the one I was s'pposed to give to him!"

Bobbery then looked at his ticket suspiciously. "Umm... Pardon everyone, but... Parakarry, did you personally hand-deliver these passes to everyone?"  
"Of course. Hand-delivery is what I live for."  
Bobbery was then the one looking confused. "...And you claim to have lost my pass while flying over the ocean... Presumably by strong winds?"  
"Yessir. Them winds blew it right outta my bag. I couldn't catch it, and it just went a-blowin' away..."  
"How odd..." Bobbery said softly, "For my boarding pass _did_ reach me, but it wasn't delivered by you nor by the wind..."  
Everyone suddenly became intrigued. "Well then who gave it to you?" Mario asked.  
"Everyone sit back and I'll explain..." Bobbery said. He then cleared his throat and began his tale...

"It was the dark, early hours of last Wednesday. My crew had taken on a task to deliver some Chuckola reserves to several different ports. Being the navigator, it was hard work for me to even stay awake, but being the devoted sailor I am, I forced myself to. However, we soon found ourselves at the mercy of an approaching storm. I tried my best to steer around it, and I did a pretty good job, but unfortunately, I narrowly miscalculated and we ended up having to pass through the very edge of it. It as during this time of the voyage that it happened..."  
"The water was rough, and the winds mighty. While everyone else retreated below decks, I alone stayed above and steered the boat as best I could, but my best wasn't good enough. A monstrous wave crashed up onto the deck and knocked me down flat, several feet from the rudder. I was knocked around pretty badly, and I lay there on the cold, rainy deck for several minutes, unable to move..."  
"But then suddenly, a bolt of lightning illuminated the deck... And standing across from me was a stout figure in a cloak. I saw it for but a second, for the light soon faded. But then, another bolt of lightning, and the figure had magically moved closer - 'twas but a few yards from where I lay. 'Who are you?!' I called out, but no answer. Once again, the light faded, and the figure vanished from sight. The one more illuminating bolt of lightning... And I then saw it stood mere inches from my body. It wore an odd red and gold pendant around its neck, and it loomed over me like a wicked ghost. I was frightened to death."

"Who are you and what do you want from me?!' I cried. But the cloaked figure said nothing. It merely reached into its pocket, pulled out the boarding pass, and tacked it to my sturdy, shivering body. 'A gift from Vivian...' it replied darkly. The light then faded again... And the figure was gone. Strangely enough, seconds after it disappeared, the storm ended..."

"I later came to, and took a look at the boarding pass tacked onto my body. Once I saw what it was for, I ordered a change of course and sailed back to Keelhaul Key, where I met all of you to board the Elation, and go on the adventure that we are all on at this very moment..."

Everyone listened to the tale in horror, and when it was finally over, the silence in the room was like that of an empty coffin.  
Parakarry was shaking in his boots. "B-but... I swear to God, I lost that thing..."  
Bobbery scoffed. "Well, whatever that beastly thing was, it found it and gave it to me!"  
Peach was intrigued as well. A stout cloaked figure with a red and gold pendant around its neck... Where had she seen someone like that before...?

Vivian was shaken by the story as well, but she eventually took a deep breath and came to. "Well, whoever this person was, they can't be that bad, could they? I mean, they did get Bobbery's pass to him. Maybe they were just being nice!"  
"I dunno," Mario thought. "Whoever this weird thing was, they were probably monitoring Parakarry closely to make sure he delivered all those passes..."  
Parakarry gasped. "Ya mean... Someone was watchin' me?!"  
"It sure seems like it," Mario replied.

But Vivian shook her head. "But that doesn't matter, right? What really does matter is that this person helped get Bobbery his pass, which means he's here with us right now!"  
"I suppose," Bobbery said with a smile.  
Vivian turned to Parakarry with a warm expression. "Oh Parakarry, it was really sweet of you to come all this way just because you felt guilty."  
Parakarry shrugged. "Well hey, I had a few days off! And uh... Well, I just thought I should cuz you're the nicest girl I ever met, and I had to make it up to ya."  
"Oh, thanks Parakarry," Vivian said with a smile. She then jumped up and gave him a big hug.

After that was done, Mario had another question. "Yo Parakarry, how'd you know which room we were in?"  
"Well, " he said, "I followed that Doopliss fella to your front door, and I needed to talk to ya, but I though it'd be weird to see me and Doopliss standin' together at your door, so... I sped outside and decided to knock on the patio door."  
Vivian gasped. "Doopliss is at the front door?!"  
And with that came another knock on the door. He'd been knocking periodically for the last five minutes.

Mario was about to answer, but then stopped.  
They still had a lot to ask Parakarry. Would it really matter if Doopliss was in there, too? Could he maybe tell Doopliss to wait outside another few minutes?  
Plus, he still had to consider that Doopliss might be on the side of evil...

After a little self-debating, Mario carefully walked up to the front door and grabbed the knob, though he didn't open the door. "Who's there?" he asked.  
"_Umm... room service!"_  
"Doopliss, I know it's you. What are you doing here?!"  
"_Huh? Oh, damn. Uh... Look, just let me in and I'll explain!"_  
"You'd damn well better explain! Because of you, it's probably not safe for us to sleep here tonight now that we know Bowser, Crump and Grodus are after us!"  
"_Look, I'm sorry about that! Really, I am! That's all I came here to say! Honest!"_  
"Alright then, well you've said it. Now go away!"  
"_No! There's more I have to tell you!"_  
"Seriously Doopliss, leave! Bowser and Crump could round the corner at any second, and if they see you standing outside our door, they'll know we're in here!"  
"_Oh, oh yeah... Well... Well in that case, I-I'm not moving from this spot until you let me in!"  
_"Doopliss, come on!!"  
"_No, YOU come on! I'm tellin' you, I'm not moving until you let me in! So what are ya gonna do?!"_  
Mario clenched his fist and thought hard about the situation. Doopliss did sound like he was being serious... He finally figured it wasn't worth risking Crump and Bowser finding them. He sighed, twisted the knob, and opened the door. Doopliss squeezed past Mario into the room. "Thanks," he said.  
"Whatever," groaned Mario. "Now say want you have to before we throw you outta here!"

Doopliss walked into the room and found everyone to be staring at him in an odd way. Aside from Vivian, Flurrie, and Ms Mowz, no one had seen Doopliss since he was last present at the rebirth and defeat of the Shadow Queen. Therefore, they were all stunned to have suddenly seen him here dancing the YMCA on stage with Parakarry, Bowser and Crump. On top of that, he had pointed out their position to the princess-hungry Bowser and Crump to find them. So... yeah, it was a pretty awkward moment for him.  
"Hey guys," he said quietly.  
No one said a word for a long time... Until Vivian broke the silence. "Hi Doopliss. How are you?"

Doopliss smiled, but his smile quickly faded. "I'm... Well, to be honest, I feel pretty dang awful right now." He let out a quivered sigh. "I can't believe I totally blurted out your position and showed Bowser and Crump that you were here. Even after I knew what they were up to..."  
"Tell me about it," Parakarry uttered. He'd never met Doopliss personally, but judging from what he'd seen so far, his first impression wasn't too great. "If I hadn't told them to escape, Bowser and Crump would've probably had them by now!"  
"Now hold up a second!" Mario cried. "You BOTH knew beforehand what Bowser, Crump and Grodus were planning?"  
Parakarry and Doopliss both nodded.  
"But how? I mean, if you're not in league with them..."  
Parakarry and Doopliss looked at one another suspiciously. "No, I'm not on their side," they both said at the same time.  
"Then how do you know their plans?!" Mario asked, exasperated.

"Well," Parakarry said, "On my way here to apologize to Vivian for that, umm... 'failed' delivery, I happened ta run into the trio o' villains while they were riding here in that Klown Kar of Bowser's... but that meeting wasn't too important. It's when we met again at the dock that was. Grodus told me he planned on allowing Bowser to kidnap Peach, and that he also wanted to kill Vivian fer some reason."

"Did Grodus explain why he wanted to do any of this?" Mario inquired.

"He offered to tell me his whole plan, but only if I agreed to help him search for ya'll. Naturally, I didn't accept that offer, so I'm afraid I don't know their motives. I'm sorry..."

"I know their motives..." Doopliss said, raising his hand slightly.

Mario looked at him seriously. He didn't bother asking how Doopliss might have known that information. "Alright then! Spit it out already!"

Doopliss jumped in surprise. "Oh, right! Umm... so, yeah. Grodus wants another chance to take over the world, but because all of his funds and supplies were lost during his last failed attempt, he needs to repair his moon base and his whole X-naut army back to its original state. However, he'll have no chance of doing this unless his mainframe computer helps him. What was it called again? Started with a 'T' or something..."

"TEC?" Peach asked with a certain joy in her voice.  
"Doh, right! TEC! That's the name! So yeah, he needs TEC to cooperate in order to revive the base. However, since TEC is still angry at Grodus for not allowing him to love Peach, he still resists Grodus's commands. Therefore, Grodus plans to actually allow Bowser to kidnap Peach. Once that happens, he'll tell TEC that Peach is in the hands of a terrible monster, and that she will only live if TEC helps him rebuild the base. TEC would then have no choice but to comply, thereby ultimately allowing Grodus to have another shot at world domination. And, uh... Yup. That's about the size of it."  
When Peach heard this, she couldn't help but feel very depressed. Bowser planned to kidnap her (again!), TEC was about to have his love for her be used against him, and Bowser was going to kidnap her... AGAIN! But... now that they knew of the plan beforehand, they could avoid it all. This made her very relieved. "Thanks for telling us this, Doopliss..."

Vivian then stood up. "But wait! You said Grodus wanted me, too. Why!?"  
Doopliss readily volunteered to explain. "Vivian, you remember when you quit the Shadow Sirens and joined Mario, then I took your place?"

"Yeah..." Vivian said.

"Well, it's like this... Grodus was really upset when you betrayed him and joined the side of good so abruptly, and he was even more angry to hear that the Shadow Queen had been defeated by your hand... Therefore, as a little bonus to the princess-kidnaping plan, he plans to kill you as revenge for your disloyalty."  
Vivian gasped. "But... but Mario was the main hero that killed the Shadow Queen! Why wouldn't Grodus want to kill him, too?"  
Mario frowned. "Hey Vivian, where you gettin' at!?"  
Vivian continued. "Heck, ALL of us aided in the Shadow Queen's defeat! Why wouldn't Grodus want to kill ALL of us?!"  
Doopliss shook his head slowly. "He only seeks to kill you now because you betrayed him. All the rest will probably die if his plan works and he does end up with control of the world, anyway..."  
"Oh for God's sake..." Vivian moaned, pulling her hat down over her face.

Mario was still confused. "Now wait a minute. You mean to tell me that Grodus just waltzed up to both of you and told you all this?"  
"Naw," Parakarry said. "He only talked ta me because he thought maybe I'd know where ya were. When I said I didn't know, he thought maybe he could convince me to join his team to search for ya'll, seein' as I can fly and all. Of course, as I said, I didn't agree to help 'em..."  
"Ditto, basically. Except for the flying part," Doopliss said.  
"Oh..." Mario thought. "OK, I suppose that makes sense then. Thanks guys, for not giving in to them."

Vivian still had her face covered. "Doopliss..." she said lowly. "...You knew Bowser and Crump were here to kidnap Peach and to KILL me... and you still blurted out our position to them?"  
Doopliss suddenly felt the guilt in his heart start to grow heavy. "I... I'm sorry. It was an accident..."  
Vivian looked up, her mouth twisted in anger. "Weren't you even THINKING about it?! Did it even cross your mind that your little 'shout-out' was putting us in serious danger?!"  
Doopliss shook his head. "No, really! I just... I saw you in the audience, and I just couldn't help myself! I had to call out! I admit, I wasn't thinking about that at the moment, but you gotta understand..."  
"Understand WHAT?!" she shouted.  
Mario's eyes went wide and whipped out the Crystal Ball, just to make sure the smoke was still in there. He was relieved to see that it was, and that this was Vivian's own true anger.

"WELL?!" she asked once more.  
Doopliss struggled to breathe. "You gotta understand that... My mind was only on you at that moment!"  
An odd aura settled in the room with that statement. Vivian herself made a gesture that showed she was feeling a bit uncomfortable. "...What do you mean by that?"  
Doopliss realized just how close he'd come to revealing his true feelings, and couldn't take the risk of revealing anymore. "...Nothing," he said. "I just wasn't thinking. I really am sorry..."  
Vivian pulled her hat down over her eyes again and said nothing.  
Flurrie and Ms Mowz looked at one another and shook their heads solemnly.

"Well..." Mario announced. "It's uhh... It's probably too dangerous for any of us to stay here tonight, seeing as Bowser and Crump are probably frantically searching this resort for us as we speak. So... I say maybe we should pack up our things, sneak out the patio door, and stay at the Portside Motel just on the other side of town. We'll hopefully find the last two Rainbow Relics tomorrow. Once we do, we'll do what we have to with them and leave as soon as possible. That cool with everyone?"  
Everyone nodded in agreement.  
"Oh, hey!" Parakarry exclaimed, reaching into his mailbag and feeling the stone within it.  
Speakin' of Rainbow Relics, there's somethin' I gotta talk to you concernin' that..."

"Sure thing," Mario said. "Tell us when we get there. Right now, let's just leave quickly and quietly..."

"Hey Mario," Vivian then said, "We still haven't learned the new Rainbow Relic location or poem verse from the eye-shaped Relic yet. Should we maybe do that first before leaving?"

Mario realized that they had indeed forgotten all about the eye-shaped Relic they'd gotten at Warburton's Boarding School, and that they should do all the necessary stuff with it tonight.

Mario dug through his suitcase and pulled out the blue, eye-shaped Relic and held it up for all to see.

_**You got the Blue Rainbow Relic! Also known as the Eyes of Virtue!  
**_

Almost immediately, the Crystal Ball levitated from Mario's pocket, as did the Map from Peach's. The two objects began to float about magically and began their odd little dance.

Parakarry and Doopliss were trippin' out. And they nearly fell over when the Crystal Ball fired it's black mist at the Map!  
When the objects settled down again, Peach grabbed the Map, and sure enough, there was a new Relic symbol and a new poem verse printed on the backside.

However, by this point, Mario knew they'd wasted enough time already. Bowser and Grodus would find them soon, and they needed to escape as quickly as possible. Mario immediately knew what everyone was thinking about at that moment, though, and knew they all needed to focus their attention on getting out of there.  
"The Map and Poem can wait," Mario said, stuffing the Crystal Ball back into his pocket. "Right now, we need to leave. Everyone grab your things. We're leaving in five minutes."

With that, everyone began to hastily pack up their stuff. They grabbed their clothes and belongings from all over the room and stuffed them into their bags. They were even urged to pick up things that weren't even theirs, just to make sure no one forgot anything. After five minutes, they did a final sweep of the room just to make sure nothing was left behind. Once they made sure of it, Mario opened the patio door and urged everyone out. It was a good thing they were on the bottom floor, as they were all able to sneak out quickly and quietly...


	9. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

**_- Out of Body, Out of Mind -_**

Once everyone was outside, Parakarry snapped his fingers. "Aw, shoot! I completely forgot to tell ya'll - my friend Zanthir was waitin' out here fer me! Mind if we take a little detour and see if he's still here? He says he knows who all of ya are!"

When Vivian heard the name Zanthir, she immediately took notice. Zanthir... From what she'd heard, Zanthir was the only godly figure of the lot that thought highly of her in the slightest bit. Well, him and that messenger guy anyway... Still, she was kind of eager to meet him, even if only for a second.

"Can we Mario?" she asked innocently.

Goombella, Koops, and Verdugo all wondered, too. They were the only ones of the party that had actually met Zanthir while on their search for the Atomic Wedgie God, and they personally didn't mind meeting up with him again.

Mario looked at Parakarry and Vivian, then nodded. "Yeah, sure. Where's he waiting?"

"Just out front!" Parakarry said, leading the way. Everyone followed silently.

"He's waiting right here in front of the main door..." Parakarry said as he rounded the corner. Everyone rounded the corner as well to the site where Zanthir was supposedly waiting. However, he was nowhere to be found.  
"Hmm..." said Parakarry. "He's probably gone to report the news to Reinus concerning your quest. We did plan on doing that tonight... Ah well, he'll probably be back for us in the morning."  
"Yeah," Mario thought. "Besides, it seems like he'd really want to meet Vivian..."  
Vivian nodded, knowing it was probably true.

Shrugging that off, Doopliss and Parakarry joined the group in their walk through the dark, empty town towards the Portside Motel. After about a five-minute walk along the harbor, they saw the motel ahead. It wasn't the least bit luxurious and looked even a bit rundown, especially compared to the fabulous Heaven's Bell. However, they had no choice but to stay there.  
The gang of eleven walked into the motel's lobby and saw an old Goomba at the desk. "May I help you?" he asked unenthusiastically.  
"We'd like a room for the night. Just one night." Mario said.  
The Goomba examined the group. "For all of you? One room won't be enough. You'll need at least 2... I can get you 2 rooms with 3 queen size beds each. That's the best I can offer."  
"Sure, no problem," Mario said, placing some coins on the counter.  
The Goomba took the coins and handed them two keys, labeled 1000 and 1001. "Your rooms are on the top floor. You can find 'em."  
"Thanks..." replied Mario.

The crew walked up to the 2nd floor and quickly found their two rooms. Mario unlocked both doors and quickly walked into the room labeled 1000. When the rest of them tried to follow, he resisted by holding the door closed. "Sorry, I have some things I need to think about by myself. You guys head into the other room. I'll meet you there in a bit. Half of us'll need to sleep in here anyway..."  
Peach looked at Mario with a concerned expression. "Mario, honey? Are you sure you're OK?"  
"Yeah... Just got some things to think about. Really, go on. I'll be fine. I promise."  
"C'mon guys, you heard Mario," Goombella said. "Let's go..."  
Mario nodded slowly and shut the door. All the others piled into the other room...

* * *

"Let's check The Poem now!" cried Verdugo excitedly.  
"NO!" Protested Goombella. "It's too scary! Let's look at the Map see where the next Relic is first..."

Everyone had gathered into Room 1001 and were arguing about what they should do now that the Eyes of Virtue had added more shit to the Map. Goombella walked over next to Peach and stood on her toes so she could see the Map.  
"What body part does this one resemble?" Bobbery asked.  
"Umm... Looks kinda like a nose, or something..."  
"Any idea where it is?" wondered Vivian.  
Goombella studied the map some more. Suddenly, a look of confusion crossed her face. "HUH?! According to the map, the next Rainbow Relic is... right here! In this motel!"  
Everyone began to talk and question among themselves, wondering what that could mean.

Parakarry then stopped all the discussion. "Hey ever'body! I got somethin ta share with all of ya! I was gonna reveal this earlier, but..."  
Everyone was then quiet and watched Parakarry as he reached into his mailbag...  
A pulled out a large, shiny indigo stone carved in the shape of a nose.  
"Oh my..." Flurrie said. "Parakarry dear... YOU have the Rainbow Relic? But how?"  
Parakarry shook his head. "Aw, it's a long story, so I'll spare ya. At any rate, I have it, and I swore to get it to you. So... here it is!"  
"Awesome!" Verdugo cried, running up to Parakarry and opening his hands. Parakarry happily handed it over, and Verdugo held it up.

_**You got the Indigo Rainbow Relic! Also known as the Nose of Knowledge!  
**_

Almost immediately, the Crystal Ball and the Map did their thing again, and now there was a new symbol on the Map that resembled a heart, plus there were now _two_ unread poem verses!  
"Wow!" Peach exclaimed. "Two Rainbow Relics right in a row! That means... There's only one left to find now!"  
There was a little celebration among the group when they realized that was true. They had to go tell Mario!

The gang walked out into the hall and knocked on the door to Room 1000 where Mario was. When no one answered, they found the door was actually slightly open, so they pushed it inwards and walked in.  
Inside the room, Mario had his hand on his forehead and was looking out the window. Something was seriously bothering him. They wondered if they should even see what was wrong. Mario didn't even seem to hear the group slowly walk into the room. He continued to stand there, staring out the window into the night sky, one arm on the windowsill and the other on his forehead. He was racking his mind over something, and he was looking very depressed about it.  
Everyone was almost afraid to bother him. However, being his love, Peach was the only one with the nerve to go up and speak to him.  
"Mario...?" she asked.  
Mario saw her reflection in the window, and was clearly aware of her presence, but he didn't respond in any way.  
"Mario, sweetheart? Are you OK?"

Mario removed his hand from his forehead and turned to look at her, his expression very serious, and even a bit sad.  
He then looked at the entire group as a whole.  
"Everyone..." he announced silently, "I've been thinking long and hard about something for a while now... Just recently, I was forced to make a very difficult decision, and now, I think I've finally made my choice..."  
"What choice?" Peach asked.  
Mario looked down at the floor, as though scared that his next words would have a severe impact on everyone. He inhaled deeply, looked up, and said...  
"Guys, we're leaving for the Mushroom Kingdom tomorrow morning."

All of Mario's friends gasped at Mario's announcement. It was just such a sudden change in attitude on his part. He was the one that was leading the expedition for the Rainbow Relics, and now he just wanted to quit and go home? This wasn't the Mario they knew!  
"Are you serious, Mario?" Koops asked, bewildered.  
"I am," Mario said sincerely. "We're stopping this whole Rainbow Relic quest and going home tomorrow."  
Peach sighed. "Oh Mario... I know this has been a hard trip for you, but there's only one Rainbow Relic left to find now! See? Parakarry had found one earlier and was holding it the entire time!"  
Parakarry held up the Nose of Knowledge for Mario to see with a goofy smile. However, seeing it only seemed to depress Mario even more.  
"...Look everyone," he continued, "It's not that I don't think we can do it. Hell, I've known all along that we were probably the only ones in the world that _could_! It's just... There's something brewing beneath this whole thing that's really nagging at me. There's some sort of conspiracy behind this whole search for the Rainbow Relics, and I think if we continue this quest any longer, something terrible's gonna happen..."

Vivian listened to Mario's words intently. She remembered the conversation she and Mario had in the bathroom back at the Heaven's Bell. It seemed he had been thinking about what she said and was beginning to see things the way she did. Hearing him say these things still made her fell a little sad, but relieved as well.

Verdugo shook his head. "C'mon Gonzales! So maybe there's a bit of mystery behind the Rainbow Relics. Big deal! We'll understand everything once we find them all!"

Everyone began to talk amongst themselves as though agreeing with what Verdugo claimed, but Mario promptly interrupted.

"NO!" Mario almost screamed. "Don't you get it? That's exactly what the evil forces behind this conspiracy want!"  
"Evil forces?" Goombella asked. "Sorry Mario, but now you're just sounding kinda nuts..."  
Mario shook his head. "But you see, I'm not! Remember the last verse of The Poem we read?_ 'When the Rainbow Relics are put back in their post, it will bring the world's end?' _Honestly, that can't strike you as not suspicious!"  
"Well, Mario honey," Peach assured, trying to calm down the ever-restless Mario. "If there was really something trying to persuade us into collecting these Relics for evil purposes, why would they leave such blatant, obvious clues, like the cryptic messages in The Poem? Doesn't seem very smart for evil beings that would plan a conspiracy like the one you were talking about..."

"You see?" Mario said, pointing at her, "That's exactly what they WANT us to think! They _know _that we're always up for solving a mystery, so they deliberately planned every detail of this so that we would get all caught up in figuring it all out. But you know what I think?! I think that once we DO figure it out, there'll be no turning back for us! We're swimming deeper and deeper into a whirlpool that, once we see what's within it, there'll be no way out. Well, I'm not going in any deeper! And I sure as hell hope none of you plan on doing so either!"  
Peach walked over and tried to calm Mario down. "Mario, please! You don't even know who these evil beings might be!"

Mario shrugged her off. "Oh, really? Who sent us on this quest, huh? I'll tell you who! That messenger who sent Vivian the letter! The guy who told us about the seriousness of the whole X-naut invasion and why we needed to get The Rainbow back in the sky! REINUS didn't seem to give half a shit about the X-nauts, or the Rainbow Relics, or even Vivian! It was all that goddamn messenger guy! Let's face it - we haven't even SEEN the bastard since we first met him at the dock like, 3 days ago! So... I don't know who that guy is, but he wants us to find those Relics and put them back in their post. Why? I don't know, but I KNOW it ain't for anything good!"

Mario reached his now shaking hand into his pocket and yanked out the smoke-filled Crystal Ball. "See this?" he asked. "Yeah, see this smoky stuff? It ain't smoke. It's an evil spirit. Yeah, it's true! And you know what else? It possesses Vivian on it's own free will! Yeah, that's why she went all crazy and killed that Cheep-Cheep and all those kids! Cuz this goddamn thing _possessed_ her! Oh... but I bet you're thinking 'But that thing is telling us where the Relics are! It can't be evil!' Well for God's sake, again! This thing and that messenger bastard WANT us to find those Relics and put them in their post so they can _bring the world's end!!_"

Mario was breathing so heavily now that it looked like he might have a heart attack. But suddenly, his body went limp and he staggered over to one of the beds and fell down upon it. Everyone ran over to his aid. "Mario honey, are you alright?" Peach asked.  
Mario looked up and sighed. "Yeah. Just... please everybody. Please just listen to me... Let's go home... Before something terrible happens..."

There was a long silence...  
Until Vivian finally spoke. "...I understand, Mario. Thank you..."  
Ms Mowz nodded. "Yes Mario, we understand. In fact, Flurrie and I have been thinking nearly the same thing for a long time now.  
Flurrie nodded. "It's true. We were just afraid of what you might think. It turns out we were on the same wavelength after all..."

Mario struggled to sit up. "Well, I guess it's settled then... The Elation is supposed to stop for fuel here tomorrow morning at 9 am, but they will probably allow us on. Once we do, we can turn our backs on Morteva and never have to worry about this ever again..."  
Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Plus," Mario added, "I think it'll be funny to leave Bowser and Grodus searching this island for nothing!"  
Everyone laughed at the thought.

"Well," Goombella said, "There's still two poem verses to read... Shall we?"  
Mario shook his head. "No, we really shouldn't. If we do, we'll only become more intrigued and more eager to solve this mystery... which is exactly what that messenger and that evil Crystal Ball spirit want. We should really just resist the urge..."  
Koops was then the one shaking his head. "Don't worry Mario. We understand your reasons completely for wanting to go back. This Poem will just seem like a campfire ghost story to us now!"  
Mario nodded. He believed them. "Alright, but... read them in the other room. I don't wanna hear it."

"OK..." they all said. After a small good-bye, they left Mario alone in Room 1000 once again and headed back to Room 1001.  
"Whoa..." Doopliss moaned aloud. "I am FREAKIN' out here..."

* * *

Mario's partners, Parakarry, and Doopliss all once again crowded into Room 1001. Once they were all inside, Peach took out the Map and turned it over to the side where The Poem was written. However, she appeared reluctant to read the two new verses that had just been added, despite the fact that everyone around her was dying to hear them. Except Vivian.  
"C'mon Peach! Read the new verses!" Goombella urged.  
"I don't know..." she replied nervously. "What if what Mario says is right? What if these evil beings really do want us to become sucked in? What if we read them and we really find ourselves thirsting for more? After all, there will only be _one _more verse after this. And that verse just might be the key to it all. We may go crazy never knowing what it is..."  
"Well you're makin' ME crazy by not reading it now!" Verdugo protested.  
"I really don't think there's anything to worry about," Koops assured. "Like I said, The Poem will just be for fun now. No need to take it seriously anymore, seeing as we're going home tomorrow..."

Peach found reassurance in Koops' words, and everyone else seemed to agree with him. Still somewhat afraid that she was going against Mario's wishes, Peach finally took in a deep breath and began to read...

_**Protector of the Sky  
Grounded by the eye  
Of the ever-growing beast  
Which the light is its feast...**_

_**Born from dark hearts  
We seize the Gods' Arts  
We live to see die  
The Protector of the Sky...**_

_**Crooks, rogues and thieves  
Plague a town by the sea,  
This dark and shadowed war,  
A baby girl, it bore...**_

_**A land of toadstools  
Where an empire rules**_

_**And where kings kill for joy  
And spawn an infant boy...**_

_**When a gent loves a lass  
Overseas they may pass,  
And when together in love,  
May the world drown in blood...**_

_**The Gods' Arts, we take,  
The God's Arts, we reshape,  
So when in their post again,  
They shall bring the world's end...**_

_**Four heroes halt our plans,  
We hide the Arts across the lands,  
And seek refuge in our dens  
We shall meet one day again...**_

_**Four heroes trap my bride,  
She's no longer by my side,  
Not 'til open once more  
Is the Thousand-Year Door...**_

A most silent of silences ensued.  
Flurrie and Ms Mowz would've said something, but they were focused on Vivian. She seemed to be the most affected by The Poem's words. As Peach had recited it, Vivian had been quivering ever so softly and whispering the words to herself as she heard them. In fact, she even whispered the words along with Peach even into these two unheard verses. It was as though she'd heard the poem before, but had long since forgotten until now...

"Wow..." Peach finally murmured. "Weird..."  
"Seriously," Goombella said. "I thought all that stuff about the Thousand-Year was behind us now..."  
"'Bride behind the Thousand-Year Door?'" Verdugo asked. "Sounds an awful lot like the Shadow Queen to me..."

"Indeed," Bobbery reasoned. "And do you know something else that strikes me as rather odd? I always thought that the strange purple smoke within that Crystal Ball reminded me of that woman. It vaguely resembles the mist that surrounded her, does it not?"  
"From memory, I guess..." Peach thought. "But that makes no sense. You guys beat the Shadow Queen. She couldn't be back... could she?"  
"Well, if she is..." Koops said, "That smoke in the Crystal Ball might be her spirit or something..."  
Everyone muttered amongst themselves at that comment.

It was so strange... They were all trying to act all casual about this, trying to act like The Poem was no big deal because they wouldn't be reading anymore of it anyway, and that they could just so easily put it behind them...  
And yet, just beneath the surface, they were all intrigued. Dying to here that one final verse that only goodness knew what might reveal...  
Just as Mario had warned them.

Before they could all go mad in their thoughts, Doopliss suddenly broke the silence. "Hey Vivian, can I talk to you? ...Alone?"  
Vivian turned to him, her mouth in a small frown. "About what?"  
"About what I did back there at the bar..."  
"What more is there that you can say to me Doopliss?!" she asked somewhat harshly.  
Doopliss shook his head. "A lot more..."

He walked over to the door and opened it, then motioned for Vivian to go through with him. His manner was calm - inviting, but not demanding. Vivian was still upset with him, but she figured the least she could do was hear what he had to say. After all, he had been there for her when Atlan had left her all alone at the dock...  
Slowly, Vivian stood up from her seat on the bed and floated over. She went through the doorway into the hall, and Doopliss quietly closed the door shut as he walked out after her.

Vivian and Doopliss were left standing in the dark, quiet hallway together. Vivian put her hands on her hips and looked him in the eyes. "OK Doopliss, what do you want to tell me?"  
Doopliss had no idea where to begin. What he was mainly afraid of was that everything he had to tell her would only make her more upset and sad. How sorry he was that he had accidentally revealed to Bowser and Crump where she was... that was his first concern at the moment. However, there were also more personal things to reveal, like how he had disguised himself as Atlan just so he could be close to her. Because he loved her...

Yes. After so long, he now felt just about ready to reveal these things.

"Vivian..." he stuttered. "I just wanted to say, again, how sorry I am for putting you in so much danger..."  
Vivian sighed. "You've already said you were sorry, Doopliss. And, well... since we're leaving tomorrow, I guess I can see fit to forgive you..."  
"Oh, really? That's fantastic!" he exclaimed.  
"I still don't understand why you felt the need to shout out to me anyway..." she muttered.  
"Hey," Doopliss said. "Believe me Vivian. When I realized my mistake, and when I knew that your life was in danger, I... I don't think I'd ever been more scared in my life..."  
Vivian's mouth twisted in confusion. "...What do you mean by that? Why do you care so much about me all of a sudden? You're kind of scaring me, Doopliss..."

Doopliss looked down at the floor. He didn't want Vivian to be afraid of him, but he couldn't just tell her not to be.  
"Vivian..." he uttered once again. "I... I have a confession to make..."  
Vivian crossed her arms across her chest. "What is it?"

Doopliss's heart began to race. His body grew hot and his body had began to sweat and dampen so much it was soaking through his sheet. He did his best to hide his wildly running emotions.  
"You see Vivian... Atlan was..."  
Upon hearing the name Atlan, Vivian's interest suddenly piqued. She might have said something accusing at that moment, but no. She wanted to hear what he had to say.  
"Atlan was... Well, let's just say I knew him very well..."  
Vivian then seemed disappointed, probably because she knew Doopliss was hiding something from her, and he wasn't doing a very good job of it.

Doopliss then began to think maybe it wasn't a good idea to reveal this truth... Because if he did, she would ask why. And if she asked why, he would have to say it was because she was the only thing in the world that he'd ever truly loved and cared for. And that was something he surely wasn't ready to reveal yet... Was he?

Vivian was growing impatient, and even a bit angry with Doopliss, partly because she was afraid of what he had to confess. I mean, why would he want to talk to her alone to confess something? She wasn't sure what to expect...  
"Well?" she asked again. "What is it you wanted to tell me about Atlan?"  
Doopliss's mind was reeling with thoughts. Tell her? Or don't tell her? Confess your love? Or not...  
He'd already said he had something to confess, so if he was to somehow avoid telling her the truth, he would have to lie to her...  
And thus, Doopliss finally decided he had to tell her.  
He couldn't lie again.  
No... not to her. Not to Vivian...

"Vivian..." he began, "...Atlan was..."  
He then let out a heavy sigh.  
"...He wasn't who you thought he was..."

Doopliss closed his eyes and lowered his head in shame, giving Vivian the ultimate clue as to what he was trying to tell her.

Vivian took a second to let those words sink in...  
And then, her frown suddenly drooped down even more. "Doopliss..." she gasped in disbelief. "You didn't..."  
Doopliss covered his face with his hands and shook his head. "It's true, Vivian. It's true... I found Atlan's picture in a magazine and I copied his body... Believe me, I never meant any harm by it! Honest!"  
Vivian's expression grew tense. "You pretended to be a doctor-in-training! When we were on the Elation, I trusted you to take care of me! When Koops was bitten by all those spiders, we TRUSTED you to help him! And Atlan. I... I thought I loved him..."  
She sneered and turned away. "And it was YOU the whole time. I can't believe it... I can't believe the only man I ever thought I might actually fall in love with was just YOU in disguise... How could I have been so stupid?!"  
Doopliss was about ready to cry. "Vivian, please. I swear to you that I meant no harm by it!"  
Vivian turned to him roughly. "Then why did you even do it in the FIRST place, Doopliss?! Why?!"

This was the moment Doopliss had feared every waking minute of the past four days...  
She had asked him why... Why had he done what he'd done? Why had he passed himself off as another and made her fall for him?  
There was only one answer...  
And Doopliss knew that now was the time he had to say it...

Doopliss had to take a few seconds to take a few deep breaths and fight back any escaping tears, but he then began to tell his story...  
"Vivian... I grew up in the Creepy Steeple all alone. I had no idea who my parents were, or how I'd gotten there... and I still don't to this day. But one thing's for sure - my first and only childhood memories are within that place. I grew up a weak, weary Duplighost all by myself. No one to care for me... No one to care whether I was alive or dead... And worst of all, I had nothing precious that I could care for either. I was empty... Unable to give or receive anything resembling love or care. It was awful..."  
Doopliss remained silent for a little while and looked at Vivian, just to make sure she was listening. She was. Her arms were still crossed, and her face was a bit softer, though basically demanding to hear the rest.  
And so, he continued.

"...But, one day in my youth that I moved the star-shaped statue in the Steeple and found the secret basement. And it was there that I found the Crystal Star... And I immediately made it mine. It was the only thing of value to me, and I held it dear. However, one might say it made me go a bit... crazy. So crazy, in fact, that I swore on my life that I would allow no one within the Steeple, lest they try and steal it from me... Until you came."

Vivian's lips curved into a confused frown. She said nothing, but her face still beckoned to hear more.  
Doopliss continued. "When I first saw you... It was the first moment in so many years that I wasn't thinking about my precious Crystal Star. All my thoughts, my attention, my feelings... they were all focused on you. And then, when you and Mario beat me up and took the Crystal Star away from me, I was at first completely crushed that the only thing I'd ever loved was gone... But not soon after that did I realize that wasn't true..."  
Doopliss swallowed nervously and continued. "I understood at that moment why when I looked at you, my false lust for the Crystal Star all but left my mind. And to this day, I understand everything. It's the reason why I joined the Shadow Sirens soon after that, and it's the very reason why I came to Morteva and disguised myself as Atlan, and it's the reason why I'm admitting this all to you at this very moment..."  
Vivian lifted her hand to her mouth. "...What reason?" she asked.

Doopliss stepped back a little bit. "So that... so that I could be close to you... because..."  
He then closed his eyes and looked down.  
"I love you."

Vivian gasped lightly and covered her mouth with her hand, the other hand balled into a fist. "Doopliss..." she whispered.  
Doopliss buried his face in his hands again. "It's true... I thought the Crystal Star was the only thing I ever loved, but no... It's you. You're the only thing I've ever really loved and cared about. I wish it wasn't true, but... I can't control my feelings. I love you, Vivian."

Vivian didn't say a word. She merely continued to stare at the ground, her hand still over her mouth, breathing heavily. She clearly had no idea what to say.  
Doopliss didn't either. All he might have wanted to say was expressed through the two tears that trickled down his cheeks.  
"I... I'm sorry Vivian..." was all he could manage.  
Vivian slowly shook her head. She looked up at him. "I can't..." she said silently. "I can't believe it..."  
Doopliss looked her in the eyes. "I know how you must feel right now," he said, "I'm so sorry..."

Doopliss then sputtered though his tears. "I... I have to go..."  
"Where...?" Vivian asked.  
"I don't know," he answered. "Somewhere... by myself..."  
He looked down again. "Thank you..." he muttered. "F-for giving me something to love. Thank you..."  
It was the last thing he said to her before running down the hallway and down the stairs, completely out of sight.

Vivian was left standing in the darkness, her hand still cupped over her mouth.  
She just couldn't believe what had she'd just heard. It seemed so... unreal.  
She then began to feel tears welling up behind her eyes... But why? What were they tears of? Pity? Sympathy? Sorrow? She had no idea, but hearing Doopliss say those words and run away just filled her with the strangest emotion...

Unable to discern her feelings or shake the thoughts swimming through her mind, Vivian opened the door to Room 2001 and slowly floated in. As she did, she heard the group discussing stuff amongst themselves...  
"But Bobbery, the messenger we met at the dock wore a cloak. Are you sure he and the person who delivered you your boarding pass aren't the same guy?"  
"I swear on my life they're not! My boarding pass deliverer was nearly as short as I. The messenger fellow appeared the size of a regular man. By size comparisons, they can't be the same! And since I'm the only one who saw this person, you can't argue. All you can do is believe me when I say they are NOT the same person!"  
"But hey, guys, back on the subject of the Shadow Queen and stuff. The last verse of The Poem said that his 'bride' was trapped behind the Thousand-Year Door. The Shadow Queen having a bride... Could that mean, if there's a queen, might there also be a-?"

All discussion stopped when Vivian floated into the room and sat down on a bed, away from everyone. She was looking awfully troubled by something.  
"So Vivian dear, what did Doopliss have to say?" Flurrie asked.  
Vivian shook her head. "Just... some stuff... that I'd rather not share."  
Ms Mowz smiled softly. "We understand, sweetie. Is he still here?"  
"No. He... he left..." Vivian muttered.  
Flurrie and Ms Mowz looked at one another with sad expressions. They knew it... Doopliss had told Vivian the truth. What they didn't know, however, was exactly how this was all going to play out from here...

* * *

Mario lay in the bed of Room 1000, struggling to get to sleep, but he just couldn't. All he could do was lay there and think...  
It depressed him so much that they were so close to finishing this quest, only to come to the decision to end it. Only one Rainbow Relic left to find... One verse of The Poem left to read... and they had to give it up.  
Of course, they had every reason to give it up. Doing so would likely even spare the world a terrible fate...

But still... Thinking about all he was forcing his friends and himself to simply drop and leave behind made him feel awful inside. And, as much as he hated to admit it, his brain was still occupied with thoughts of the Rainbow Relic conspiracy - he was still greatly intrigued by it. He knew it was what the enemy wanted, but he couldn't help himself. The enemy had certainly done a good job of drawing him in with this mystery, Mario had to admit that. However, he wasn't going to chase after answers any more. He needed to just let it go...  
He and his friends were going home tomorrow, and nothing could change his mind.

Finally feeling somewhat comfortable with his thoughts, Mario felt it was time to get some sleep. He would have to get to sleep at a decent hour if he wanted to wake up at 9 am tomorrow to catch the Elation.  
Mario looked over at the clock. It read 2:17am.  
Wow. It'd been nearly 2 hours since his friends had last dropped by, and none of them had even come in since then. They must've all somehow made room and fallen asleep in the other room, probably too afraid to disturb him. Mario figured that made sense. He must've seemed like a total nutcase when he last spoke to them...  
Ah well. It was nice to have a motel room all to himself, even just to sleep in.

Mario's eyelids grew heavy, and in a matter of minutes, they were shut, enveloping his eyes in dark. It was off to Subcon for him...  
But wait.  
What was that?  
A noise?  
Mario opened his eyes and sat up with a start. He looked around the room, but saw nothing.  
But he swore he heard something.  
A whisper?  
How odd. Whatever it was, it seemed to come from the direction of the door, travel the length of the room, and exit from whence it came.  
Thinking his troubled mind was getting the best of him, Mario lay back down and turned his back to the door. His heart still thumping in his ears, Mario forced himself to close his eyes and try and get to sleep.  
Within seconds, his eyes were shut and he was well on his way to dreamland...  
_"Mario...!"_

Mario's eyes flew open at the sound of the voice behind him. He sat up, whipped around, and found himself staring into a familiar face...  
Vivian!

But no... Her hair was flailing about in a wicked manner, and her expression was tense and cold.  
Mario gasped. "No... Vivian!" He frantically reached into his pocket and pulled out the Crystal Ball...  
Empty. Nothing but clear crystal.  
Mario stared angrily at Vivian, or rather the beast that was within her. "You devil!!" he screamed. "Get out of Vivian! Leave her alone!!"

Vivian placed a rather gentle hand on Mario's shoulder. _"Mario... Don't be afraid. I don't plan to harm you..."_  
Mario made no effort to shake Vivian's hand off. Perhaps he was just so surprised by Evil Vivian's calm manner.  
But her voice...  
That wasn't Vivian's sweet and gentle voice. This voice was more deep and womanly, and even witch-like. But he knew he recognized it from somewhere.

"W-who are you?" Mario stuttered.  
_"I'll get to that, honey,"_ Vivian said. _"But right now, I'm gonna have to change your mind about something..."  
_Mario tried to shift backwards. "No... Nothing you say is gonna change my mind. I'm not gonna find the Rainbow Relics for you! I'm going home tomorrow and that's that! All of us are!!"  
Vivian just laughed. _"Hmph... You always were a headstrong little plumber. I'm smart enough to know that no amount of evil threats could make you change your mind about anything. However, I'm also smart enough to know what can..."  
_Mario's eyes narrowed. "And what's that?"

Vivian lifted her other arm to the cute curl of hair that dropped over her forehead. Then, with her gloved, delicate fingers, she moved the curl off to the side, and Vivian's dazzling bluish-purple eyes shone forth.  
When Mario gazed into those eyes, his tense body suddenly grew weak. Those eyes... beautiful. He felt as though he was staring into deep space. The way they sparkled in the moonlight that shone in through the window... Oh, those eyes...

When Vivian realized the seducing power of her eyes had worked considerably well on Mario, she chuckled to herself and floated up onto the bed. She then sat down and continued to stare Mario in the eyes.  
_"Hmhmhmm... Yes, we Shadow Sirens have a way with looks, don't we? With eyes that hold the power to completely enchant members of the opposite sex... but my, I should've known my daughter's eyes would work so well. She always was a beauty, even when she was just a baby. She may even be more beautiful then I when I was her age..."  
_Mario's mind felt all but empty. He was almost completely under the spell of Vivian's gorgeous eyes.

"Your... daughter...?"  
_"That's right honey,"_ she said, gently stroking Mario's arm in a flirtatious manner in order to keep him entranced. _"I must say, I feel terrible about this. I haven't seen my darling little Vivian in a thousand years. Can you believe I was trapped behind that door just three days after she was born? Poor baby never even knew her own mommy... And now that I'm back, the only welcome I give her is possessing her body so she could act as my vessel to carry my withered spirit from Rogueport here to Morteva! You think I like doing this? Goodness, no. I do hope that once this is over, she can forgive me. Forgive your queen, dear Vivian. Forgive your mother for this..."_

"You..." Mario moaned. "You're..."  
_"Sshhhh..."_ Vivian shushed, putting a finger over Mario's lips. _"I think it's fairly obvious who I am now, but that's not important. What is important is I need you to get that last Rainbow Relic for me..."  
_Mario slowly nodded.  
_"Good boy,"_ Vivian said with a smirk. _"Now, here's what you have to tell your friends to convince them to stay... You know that man Grodus whose trying to kidnap your princess and kill my daughter?"  
_Mario nodded again.  
_"Well, The Rainbow is meant to act as a barrier against alien forces, right? So, if The Rainbow is up, Grodus won't be able to breach Earth's atmosphere and reach his base on the moon, because The Rainbow would kill him on contact! That way, their stupid evil plan is foiled, and Grodus gets no more chance at world domination! Doesn't that sound good?"_

Mario uttered a groan. "But... the Rainbow Relics... will cause... the world's... end..."  
Vivian laughed again. _"Oh, of course they will, silly! But if you tell your friends what I just told you to tell them, then they will be willing to take that risk in order to save Peach and the world from Grodus. Trust me, I know they will."  
_"But... Vivian..." Mario moaned.  
_"Don't worry. I'll protect my daughter from Grodus myself, it the need arises. I do need her, after all..."  
_Mario panted heavily. "B-but... why?"

Vivian sighed. _"Listen, when I first sent my oldest daughter to find a maiden who's body I could inhabit, I thought maybe corrupting a loving, pure heart would be the best idea. However, that idea backfired - it was Peach's love for you that allowed her to give you the strength to defeat my Shadow form. However, my spirit endured even after that, and I knew corrupting a pure heart again would only risk the same thing happening, so I came up with a new idea - invade a body with no heart, and create one from scratch. A heart of pure evil... Ha! It's brilliant, isn't it?"  
_Mario shook his head. "Vivian. She... she has a heart..."  
Vivian laughed and shook her head, careful not to break Mario's stare. _"Hehehe... I'm afraid not, fool. Shadow Sirens don't have hearts, not even your dear friend Vivian..."_

Vivian then sighed. _"Ohh... I'm so terribly sorry... My precious daughter, I hardly knew you... But I'm afraid mommy has no choice but to take over your body and use it to take the place of my old... For you, my dear, have the potential to become the next queen in the bloodline..."  
_A tear began to trickle down Mario's cheek, but he could do nothing to resist Vivian's spell. "P-please, don't..."  
Vivian's face twisted in annoyance. _"Shut up, you fat bastard! All I want out of you is to find that last Rainbow Relic and place all seven of them in their post by tomorrow's sundown!"_

Her tone then suddenly became softer. _"Please Mario. My husband is waiting too... It hasn't been easy for him inhabiting the body of a God these past 1,000 years, and it certainly took a lot of planning on his part to disguise himself as a messenger and bring you and all your friends here to do our bidding. Please Mario... When I was finally released from the Thousand-Year Door, he became SO hopeful that all the work he and I started 1,000 years ago could finally be finished... Please do this... for his sake, too!"_

Even while under Vivian's spell, Mario's eyes narrowed angrily. "No..."  
_"Oh yes..."_ Vivian whispered menacingly. _"You will. Now... sleep... sleeeeeep... .. .. . . ."_  
The last thing Mario saw before dozing off to sleep were Vivian's sparkling eyes, reflecting the haunting moonlight...

* * *

The sound of tiny fists knocking on the motel door interrupted Mario's sleep. His eyes opened slowly and was greeted to the mellow sunlight leaking in through the window.  
Letting out a heavy yawn, Mario sat up and stretched his arms. Man, he'd had a good sleep. Made waking up all the more difficult. His head sure hurt, though. And for some odd reason, he just could not remember anything that happened last night after he'd last spoken to his friends.

"Yo Gonzales!" cried a familiar voice from beyond the door. "You alive in there?! Don't you make me bust this door down, man!" The shouting was accompanied by more tiny knocks. Mario suddenly became wide awake. "Um, just a minute Verdugo! I'm just, uh... getting ready!"  
"Well hurry up! It's already 9:15! The Elation's docked and everything! We gotta hurry and get on before it leaves us! Don't you remember? We're going home today...!"

_"Home..."_  
Mario whispered the word to himself over and over in his mind. He walked over to the window and peered out at the dock.  
The magnificent ocean liner with the word "ELATION" painted in bold blue letters along the side was indeed docked there.  
Their ticket home...

But at that moment, something immediately surfaced in Mario's mind. Something he'd heard recently, but for some reason had completely forgotten until now...  
A reason to stay! Yes, a reason to stay...  
He remembered now. He'd gotten the idea from a source last night that he couldn't seem to recall, but he still had that idea in his head.  
And yeah... He planned to tell his friends this idea. That way, they would definitely be willing to stay and find the last Rainbow Relic!  
He wondered why that thought filled him with so much bliss. He'd made it so clear last night that they had every reason to go home, and now that he had one good reason to stay, it suddenly made him so happy. Maybe he really WAS obsessed with solving this mystery...  
"Yo Gonzales! We're all waiting on you!! Hurry UP!!"

"I'm coming! I'm coming!!" Mario replied quickly, hopping off the bed and grabbing his suitcase. He threw open the door and ran into the hallway, nearly running Verdugo down. "Geez," he said, "Good to see you hurrying."  
"Where's everyone else?" Mario asked.  
"Oh, still in the other room. We're all ready to go. We're just waitin' on you."  
"Oh, OK. Great!" Mario said, stepping over towards the open door to Room 1001. In there, he saw everyone sitting on their beds with all their stuff packed up.  
"Hey everybody!" Mario called into the room.  
Everyone looked at the door and saw Mario standing there. "Good morning, Mario!" they all replied.  
"I went down to the dock a little earlier," explained Koops. "They said that it would take about 30 minutes to finish the refueling and maintenance. That was about 15 minutes ago, so we still got about 15 more until we have to leave."  
"Oh..." Mario said unenthusiastically. He then did scan of the room to make sure everyone was there. "Hey, where's Doopliss?"

"He ran off last night," Vivian answered. "We don't know where he is..."

"And what about Parakarry?" Mario asked, feeling even more confused now.

"The man was gone before any of us woke up this morning," Bobbery told him. "I'm afraid his whereabouts are unknown to us as well..."

Mario kinda nodded in reply, but he wasn't really listening. He was instead looking up at the ceiling, or rather what was left of the ceiling. He saw a huge gaping hole, and the hook of a crane slightly overhead. "What's happening with the roof?" he asked.  
"I dunno," Koops said. "Something about the roof having to be reshingled. This motel IS pretty rundown..."  
Mario raised an eyebrow. "How does busting a hole in the roof help you reshingle it? And since when do you need a CRANE for that? Oh, but anyway, guys. I have something to tell you..."

However, before he could say any more, Goombella let out a gasp.  
"Ms Mowz...?" asked said in a shaky voice.  
"What is it?" Ms Mowz replied, who was sitting on the bed next to her.  
"...What are you wearing?"  
Ms Mowz gave a nervous laugh. "Umm... my nightgown. I don't feel like taking it off, really. I can wear it on the boat. It sure does look like a real gown, doesn't it?""...Are you wearing panties?"  
"Umm... Why yes, I am."  
"Then RUN!!"

Ms Mowz stared at Goombella seriously. It took her a second to realize what she meant...  
And then when she did, she let out a yelp and attempted to leap off the bed.  
Too late.  
The crane operator made an error and caused the hook to swing right into Ms Mowz's backside. She was unhurt when it made contact, but when the crane rose again, Ms Mowz found herself rising with it - by her panties!  
"OH FOR THE LOVE OF-! SAVE ME! IT'S GOING RIGHT UP THERE!! OOOGGGHHHH!!"  
Oh damn. Peach knew how THAT felt...  
"Ooohh God! TOMIC WEDGIE!!" Goombella cried as everyone went into a frenzy in attempt to free Ms Mowz from her painful situation...

* * *

About 10 minutes later, everyone was standing on the dock and getting ready to board the ship. However, they were giving Ms Mowz a bit of a walking break. She was in a lot of pain at the moment.  
"For goodness sake..." she moaned, a tear squeezing from her eye. "The one hour of the day that I wear any undergarments and they're snagged by a CRANE! How cruel fate is. Oww... My aching apple pie..."  
Goombella was upset with herself too. "I can't believe it. I'm sorry Ms Mowz. I've failed you, too. I couldn't warn you soon enough to get you out of harm's way. Will I be unable to save ANYONE from the Atomic Wedgie fate other than myself?"  
"Don't feel bad Goombella..." Peach said. "We forgive you... Though it would've been nice if you foresaw MINE a little sooner..."  
"Tis a good thing Madam Flurrie was able to fly up to the crane instructor and convince him to lower the crane," Bobbery said. "Or perhaps the sight of her frightened the man so much he let go of the controls!"  
"Why, you little ragamuffin!!" Flurrie scoffed, even thought Bobbery's joke was actually true.

"Anyway, I'm sure I'll be quite fine everyone," Ms Mowz assured. "Enough sympathizing for me. Let's get on that boat and be on our way home..."  
Verdugo looked back at the large island that sprawled before him with sad eyes. He spoke for everyone when he waved and said, "Good-bye Morteva..."  
Without another word, everyone began to head for the ramp that led up to the Elation's main door...

However, Mario suddenly stopped in everyone's way. "Guys," he announced. "I just got this great idea!"  
"You can tell us when we got on the boat. It's going to leave soon," Peach said.  
"No, you don't understand. I think I just might have a good reason to STAY!"  
"WHAT!?" everyone asked simultaneously. They were all plumb astounded to hear Mario say this.  
"But Mario," Verdugo noted, "You were the one who said we had to go home in the first place, and we all agree with you. We have every reason to go back, remember?!"  
"Ah," Mario said, "But if I told you a reason to stay that cancelled out all the reasons why we should go, would you stay then?"  
"Well..." Peach reasoned, "Depends what reason you have. And it'd better be good. You sure did a good job convincing us last night that we'd best give up the quest and go home."

"Right, well just hear me out..." Mario said. "Do you remember the true purpose of The Rainbow? It was to protect the world from aliens, right? Aliens that even touched The Rainbow would be killed on contact, right? So, if we collect the Rainbow Relics, and The Rainbow returns... Grodus won't be able to reach his moon base and take over the world! That way, Peach is safe, and the world's safe from Grodus and the X-nauts forever! What do you think? You think it's worth it?"

Everyone stared at him like he was an idiot."Mario," Koops protested, "We have sources that say the Rainbow Relics could bring the world protection, while we have other, far more apparent sources that suggest they will bring chaos and destruction! The X-nauts fell before us once, and they would definitely fall before us if they ever tried to invade again. Therefore, if we're really to stay and collect them just for the sake of Peach... It's a pretty big gamble, one which I don't really think is worth the risk..."  
"Yeah," Vivian argued. "And even if Peachis safe from Grodus, the Rainbow isn't going to protect ME from him. He still wants to kill me too, remember?"  
"Honestly!" shouted Bobbery. "Are you just coming up with excuses to stay because you're still all lost in this mystery? Well, we are too, but at least we're willing to put it behind us! And you'd best be willing to as well, because we're going home, old boy!"  
"Bobbery's right, Mario..." Peach said, reaching in her bag for her boarding pass. "C'mon everyone, let's get on the boat right now before we argue about this anymor-"  
Suddenly, Peach looked very concerned. "Hey... Where's my pass?"

Everyone began to look through their own luggage for their passes, but strangely enough, they had all lost theirs, too! What the hell? It was like a ghost had come in last night and stolen them all!  
"Anchors aweigh!" a Koopa sailor called out, indicating the Elation was ready to disembark.  
"Wait! Wait!" Peach cried. "We need to get on this boat!"  
"Sorry miss, but you can't board without a pass!"  
The entire team basically turned their baggage inside out looking for their boarding passes, but not a single one could find theirs...

Mario put his hands on his hips. "Well, looks like we can't board the ship, seeing as every single one of us has lost our boarding passes... Guess we have no choice but to stay. Maybe we can look for that last Rainbow Relic while we're here. Remember what I said about Grodus..."  
Peach looked at Mario with a serious face. "Mario, your sudden change in attitude is really creeping me out. First you say you want to stop this quest and go home, and now you're saying we have a great reason to stay. I think this whole conspiracy thing has really burrowed into your head... We really should go home for your sake."  
"But how can we get on the ship if none of us have our boarding passes?!" Koops asked.

The Elation's foghorn suddenly sounded. The ramp leading to the main door was pulled up, and the ship's massive motor began to whir. Slowly, but surely, the Elation was beginning it's departure. And Mario and co were still on the dock, frantically trying to figure out what to do.  
"Oh snap! The boat's getting away!" Verdugo cried. "We gotta catch it!"  
Flurrie then snapped her fingers. "Hey everybody, I may have it! Being a cloud spirit, I can absorb water and grow to rather large sizes! If I can perhaps fill myself up with some seawater, I may be able to carry everyone and ferry us over to the ship - even without our passes!"  
Everyone seemed skeptical of the idea at first, but was the Elation began to drift further and further away, and because no one had any better suggestions, they decided to do it.

With that, Flurrie leapt into the ocean and allowed her body to absorb up the ocean water. Slowly, her body began to expand and widen, until it was about 20 feet in diameter. That was big enough, she figured. Positioning herself next to the dock, she made a hand motion indicating that she couldn't absorb anymore, and that it was time for them all to hop on. They all did immediately - except for Mario.  
"Come on Mario!" Peach called to him. "You either come with us or look for that Rainbow Relic alone..."  
Mario looked down at the ground, as though he was thinking hard whether to go or stay.

He looked at Vivian, who had her hands cupped in a way that showed she was begging him to get on.  
He finally let out a grunt and hopped onto Flurrie's big, watery body. "OK..." he muttered. "Let's go."

Flurrie worked hard to move her massive body above the water towards the rapidly moving ship, but she was making progress catching up with it. But man, was it weird riding on top of her. With all that water she was filled with, it gave the term 'big jugs' a whole new meaning. o0  
After a lot of encouragement from her friends, Flurrie was finally able to catch up to the boat. She drifted along side it and prepared to fly up and allow everyone to climb out on deck.  
"OK!" she shouted. "I'm gonna fly up on the count of 3. Is everybody ready?"  
"Yeah!" They all shouted.  
"OK!" she called out. "1..."  
Everyone prepared for lift-off...  
"2..."  
They were ready to get on that boat and be on their way home...  
"3!"

**_KAAABBBOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!_**

What ensued next was a massive red and yellow explosion that blew up from within the boat itself.  
Flurrie and everyone on her back were blown several feet backwards into the ocean by the blast, and were pushed about by the waves generated from it.  
When they all came to realization, they stared at the awful sight before them...  
The Elation had suffered a horrible explosion. A humongous chunk of the frontal part of the ship was engulfed in smoke and flame. Many people onboard made attempts to escape by jumping off the side of the ship, but it was clear many onboard had been killed in the blast.  
Not a minute later, the grand cruise ship began to lean back on its rear side and sink into the churning ocean.

Mario and co stared in disbelief. How did this happen? Why so soon before they were about to board? Could this just be a terrible coincidence? Just pure bad luck? What on earth could've caused such a deadly blast?  
No matter. While they floated in the water and thought about it, the Elation was now entirely submerged. It was gone.  
The Elation... sunk.  
Their way home... gone...

* * *

"I can't believe this..." Koops muttered to himself, pacing back and forth in the motel room. "What the hell was THAT?! We were so close to getting on that boat and being on our way back to Rogueport and BAM! Blows up right in front of us! Ooohh... How will we ever get home now? Will I ever see Koopie Koo again? Will I ever see my baby girl hatch from her egg? Oh God, oh God, oh God..."  
"This is just too... Ugh! I don't even KNOW what!" Goombella sighed.  
Vivian looked as though she was about ready to cry for the umpteenth time on this trip. "Great... Now were stranded on this stupid island with Grodus and Bowser chasing after us. It's only a matter of time before they capture Peach and kill me. And then, who knows? Maybe Grodus WILL manage to get another shot at world domination? If he does, there won't be much we can do to stop him, seeing as were all stranded here..."  
"Unless..." Mario announced, "We get that last Rainbow Relic and place all seven back atop the Palace of the Gods. If The Rainbow really does return, then Grodus won't be able to fulfill his plans!"

Peach glared at him. "Mario, what IS it with you and that stupid idea? It's not like it'll really spare me anything. Grodus isn't even going to TRY and leave Earth's atmosphere until Bowser kidnaps me! Don't you see? Grodus's death - which were not even sure will happen because we don't even know what placing the Relics will do - may prevent the X-nauts from another shot at world domination, but it isn't gonna stop Bowser from kidnaping me!"  
"Don't worry Peach," Mario assured. "If Bowser kidnaps you, I can always save you."

"But what about Vivian!?" Bobbery demanded. "Did you forget already?! Grodus is after her, as well!!"  
"Oh, right," Mario recalled. "But don't worry. She said she'll protect Vivian..."  
Ms Mowz raised an eyebrow. "...'She?' Who said they would protect Vivian?"

Mario shook his head. "Um, never mind. But seriously, I'm pretty sure Vivian will be safe, and Peach can always count on me to save her if she gets kidnapped, so... basically, if the Rainbow Relics really do bring The Rainbow back like they're supposed to, then they could protect the world from Grodus and his army forever! Isn't that worth finding the last Relic for?"

Ms Mowz tried to think about that. "I don't know, Mario... Based on what we know and what you just said, placing the Rainbow Relics in their post again can either save the world or end it. It's a humongous gamble... Do you really believe it's worth it, sweetie?"  
"I think so," Mario said confidently. "Besides, our only way home has literally been blown up. What more can we do while we're here? Especially considering Grodus and Bowser are still after us?"

Despite how much they may have objected to it earlier, many of the party found themselves beginning to see where Mario was coming from. Sure, his ideas were a bit far-fetched, but he still made some good points...  
They were stranded, and they had nowhere to run to. If they simply sat around, Grodus would surely find them, Peach would surely be kidnaped, and the world would again be at the risk of falling before him and his army.

Also, they couldn't just ignore what Vivian had said... They all had to remember that, as big as Morteva was, it still was but an island, surrounded by wide, endless ocean. Therefore, if Bowser and Grodus did succeed in kidnaping Peach and escaping, there would be nothing to stop Grodus and his army from overthrowing the world, seeing as Mario and his friends would still be stranded on that island...

And yet, if they were to find that last Rainbow Relic, and place all seven of them in their post atop the Palace of the Gods, at least there was some hope for the world... Even if it was just a 50/50 chance. On one hand, it could bring the world complete protection against Grodus. On the other, it could inevitably end the world...

Peach finally sighed and pulled out the Map. "Fine..." she muttered, "The final Rainbow Relic is in this area here. In this place called the Temple of Optics."  
"Are you saying you agree that we should find the last Relic?" Mario asked.  
Peach made a gesture of reluctance. "...I suppose. There is really no better option..."  
"Yeah," Verdugo said. "And I really wanna see what that last poem verse is!"

Upon hearing Verdugo's words, that old flame that had nearly died out within everyone suddenly ignited again.  
The Poem - the key to this entire mystery. They were all curious about it again...  
Yes, they all suddenly found themselves thirsting for understanding, just as they had been in the midst of their earlier travels.

It was settled then - They were going to find the last Rainbow Relic, and they were going to find answers, and hopefully, once again, save the world!  
Hopefully...

* * *

Parakarry's wings were so tired, they felt as though they'd fall right off his shell by the time he reached the Palace of the Gods again. What was the point of suspending the building so high in the air? Why not lower it a couple thousand feet? It'd certainly make things easier for HIM...

Parakarry had woken up early that morning to see if Zanthir had returned for them, but he hadn't. Thinking it was OK to head out without saying good-bye, he went off in search of Zanthir. Why? He wasn't really sure. Zanthir had evidently really wanted to meet Mario and his party - especially Vivian. Geez, what a big deal he'd made about her...

Thinking the Palace of the Gods was the most obvious place for a God to be, Parakarry drank several cups of coffee before attempting the grueling vertical trip for the second time. He was exhausted, but relieved, by the time he finally reached it.

"Hello?" he called upon entering. "Zanthir? It's me, Parakarry! I need to talk to ya about somethin'!"  
Parakarry then heard a discussion going on nearby. Whoever the people were that were speaking, they sure sounded serious about something. Parakarry did his best to follow the echoes through the large hallways. Finally, he made certain that the voices were coming from beyond a familiar doorway - the door to Reinus's throne room. And from beyond the doorway, he heard some familiar voices - Reinus and Zanthir.

Parakarry knocked gently on the door. Reinus answered in a godly voice.  
"WE DON'T WANT ANY!!"  
"Umm... sirs?" Parakarry answered. "It's Parakarry. Ya'll remember me, don't ya?"  
He then heard Zanthir's voice. "Oh, Parakarry! Hey Reinus, you remember my Paratroopa friend from earlier, right?"  
"Hmm... yes, he's the one who found the Nose of Knowledge, correct?"  
"Yeah, that's him."  
"Well, what a funny coincidence! Let 'im in! We've got things to discuss!"

A few seconds later, the massive doors opened, and Parakarry flew into the room. Zanthir and Reinus welcomed him.  
"Hey Parakarry," Zanthir said in a friendly tone.  
"Hiya Zanthir," he replied.  
"What brings you here, Parakarry?" Reinus asked seriously.  
"Well..." Parakarry said, "I came looking for Zanthir actually. See, I-"  
"I'll let you discuss whatever it is you need to discuss with Zanthir in a minute," Reinus silenced. "However, Zanthir and I were just talking about the Rainbow Relic you claim to have found within the belly of Marinu, the Water God. Zanthir claims you inquired him just as I asked you to. Is this true?"  
"Affirmative, Mr Reinus," Parakarry said in a dignified manner.  
"Sweet," Reinus said. "Now then, please give me the 411 - how did he ingest the Rainbow Relic in the first place?"

Parakarry and Zanthir both explained what they remembered of Marinu's tale. The couple who had given him the cake, which evidently housed the Relic and a deadly germ called Squeamula. How Squeamula then made him so sick that he wasn't able to return to the Palace or seek help for 1,000 years. How he feared he may never have been able to get better, until Parakarry came along and beat Squeamula up, thereby allowing Marinu to cough up the Relic.  
Reinus scratched his chin incessantly as he heard the tale, when they were finished, he took a minute to think.

"Did he have any idea who this 'couple' was?" was his first question.  
"He claimed that they said they were merely offering him a gift. You know, a gift to the Gods, as many people used to do in those times..." Zanthir explained.  
"And do you think perhaps there's a reason why this couple hoped to make Marinu swallow the Relic and make him intolerably sick at the same time?"  
"Umm..." Parakarry thought. "Because this couple wanted the Relic hidden in a place where no one would ever find it?"  
"Indeed," Reinus said. "This couple, I believe, are the ones who took our Rainbow Relics from their post 1,000 years ago. But why? Why take them only to hide them? Did they perhaps WANT aliens to invade the world? How strange... If that's the case, then they probably would've been disappointed that the only invasion since that time was the miserably failed X-naut invasion... That is, assuming this couple is long since dead..."  
Reinus then gave them both suspicious looks. "...Do any of YOU know who this couple might have been... Or might be...?"

Parakarry shrugged his shoulders. He was utterly clueless.  
Zanthir, however, was becoming noticeably edgy and restless, his eyes darting in all directions. If Parakarry didn't know better, he'd say Zanthir was clearly keeping something to himself.  
Reinus was still waiting for a response from him. Finally, Zanthir shook his head. "Nope, no idea."  
Reinus nodded. "Very well then. I appreciate you two doing this favor for me. I shall ponder over this issue evermore now. Now, you two please leave me and discuss your own matters."  
"Certainly sir," Zanthir said with a rather exaggerated amount of respect.  
"Oh, and one more thing," Reinus called. "My faithful assistant Yama tells me that, along with the Nose of Knowledge you gave them, Mario and Vivian now possess 6 Rainbow Relics and are on their way to finding the 7th. Is this true?"  
Parakarry was about to say something, because from what he knew, Mario and co had given up the quest and were on their way home, but Zanthir interrupted. "Yes sir, it's true! Just one more and The Rainbow's back up! Isn't it great? I knew Vivian could do it!"  
Reinus gave a small smile, but it wasn't very clear if he was actually happy to hear that news.  
"Excellent..." he said. "Now then, I have some work to do. Peace out you two."

Parakarry and Zanthir flew out of the Palace of the Gods, but Parakarry promptly stopped and floated in the middle of the sky. Zanthir stopped too. "What is it?" he asked.  
Parakarry lowered his head. "Zanthir, I know how much you wanted The Rainbow back and all, but... I hate to say that Mario and his friends decided not to finish the quest after all. They're headin' home..."  
Zanthir's cheery stone face suddenly shifted into complete disbelief. An angry disbelief. "WHAT?!" he demanded.  
"Really, I don't wanna be the one to tell ya, but... They're gettin' on that cruise ship about now and they're sailin' back to Rogueport. I know how much you wanted to meet Vivian, too. I'm sorry, but it's true. They're leavin'..."  
Zanthir's face was becoming angry. "But... But they can't do that! They've only got one Relic left to find! One goddamn Relic left to find!!"  
Parakarry winced. "Uhh... isn't it kinda wrong for a God to say 'goddamn'...?"

Zanthir exploded in rage. "OH, SHUT UP!! I've gotta go stop 'em!!"  
And with that, Zanthir began to fly at a crazy speed down towards the island.  
Parakarry was awfully confused. However, he was now growing suspicious about this Zanthir guy, so he followed close behind...

* * *

Having followed the Map to the 7th and final Rainbow Relic symbol, Mario and his party had crossed the Plains of Eden to the island's northern, rocky coast. It was here upon an windy ocean cliff top that they found The Temple of Optics.  
The Temple was a none-too-impressive building. It was made of beautifully polished marble, and its architecture could've easily suggested ancient Greece, what with the stylish pillars. What really set everyone off was it's size.  
It was just so small... From the outside, it looked as though it was but a one-room building. Was the Rainbow Relic really just inside? If so, nabbing this one would be a cinch! Looks like this 'couple' who'd so far hidden the Relics in the most obscure places got lazy when they were hiding this one...  
Goombella thumbed through her encyclopedia for an entry on The Temple of Optics. After a minute or two, she finally exclaimed that she found it. She read the entry aloud:

_"The Temple of Optics  
This ancient temple on the island of Morteva is believed to date back to as early as the beginning of Earth, and is even rumored to be the first building built on Earth's surface. The Gods themselves built the temple as a trial to test the strength of the minds of men. It is said that a person with a weak mind that relies solely on his eyes and not on his intuition and/or brain could become lost within the building forever, while one who trusts his feelings and intellect could emerge from the building an enlightened man. There are so many odd sightings reported within this structure that one would not dare name them all. All that is known is that anyone who ventures within The Temple of Optics and makes it out is never quite the same. Whether it be for better or worse, that is up to the person themselves.  
If you wish to journey into the Temple of Optics, remember... Trust not your eyes, but your mind..."_

As Goombella read the description, Mario studied the building. Was Goombella talking about the right temple? How many odd sightings could occur in such a small building? It didn't make sense to him.  
"Well guys, I guess we ought to go in there then. Let's go..."

Mario began to scale the small flight of marble steps up to the entrance, and everyone followed close behind. However, Goombella stopped and turned around to face Vivian. "Vivian, you should stay outside..."  
Vivian looked confused. "What?"  
Goombella sighed. "I... I saw something in my mind when I first set eyes on this building. I saw you... screaming..."  
Vivian moaned and knew what Goombella was talking about. "But Goombella, I don't even have legs or... wear any panties..."  
Goombella was firm about her decision, though. "Please Vivian. I don't know exactly know how it will happen, but I know it will. So please... stay out here."

Vivian nodded. She was a little freaked out by the encyclopedia's description of the Temple of Optics anyway, so she simply sat down on one of the steps and stared out at the ocean from atop the breezy cliff. Goombella closed her eyes and prayed. "Please..." she whispered to herself. "Please let me spare another that fate..."  
And with that, she hurried up the steps to the rest of the group and followed them into the door of the Temple of Optics.

Led by Mario, the group stepped through the doorway and into the interior. As suspected, the building housed only a single room.  
"Hey, what gives?!" Verdugo exclaimed. "There's no Rainbow Relic in here! Where the heck is it?"  
"I haven't the faintest idea," Bobbery said. "Where on earth could it be, do you think? Perhaps there's some sort of trick?"  
Mario motioned for Peach to give him the Map. She did so, and he examined it closely. "According to the map, we're in the right place. We should be looking for a heart-shaped Relic... violet-colored, I'm guessing. You guys see anything?"

_"Nope, sorry Mario..."_ he heard Peach say.  
Suddenly, Peach's voice sounded very concerned._ "Mario? Where did you go?"_

_  
_Mario didn't look up from the Map. "What do you mean? I'm still right here!"  
_"Dang Mario,"_ he heard Koops exclaim. _"How'd you just disappear like that?"  
_What was it about their voices? They sounded so far away...  
"What the heck are you guys talking about?!" Mario asked sternly, looking up from the Map.

But when Mario looked up, he gasped in shock.  
He was no longer in that one room...  
He was staring into a dark, endless hallway!  
Mario nearly toppled over when he saw this! Struggling to stand upright, he accidentally did a 180...  
He then found himself staring into a large room, and inside with him was an odd little creature. It was small and round and wore red shoes. It appeared to have the front legs of a frog and the thick wool of a sheep. Mario stared at with awe and astonishment. "What the hell...?" he asked himself.

_"Mario dearie? We're starting to worry! Where did you run off to?"_  
A question suddenly struck Mario in the head like a bullet - Where were all his friends? How had he magically warped to THIS weird place? He first finds himself staring into an endless hallway, then he turns around and finds himself in a room with some weird little frog-sheep-Kirby sitting at his feet and making cute little noises! What was going on? Why could he hear his friends and not see them?!

Mario thought maybe the answer was down that hallway behind him. He turned around...  
But he saw no hallway. Rather, he now saw a humongous room, occupied by a giant beast! Whatever it was, it seemed like a freakish mixture of a crapload of animals - it had the body of a snake, the wings of a bat, the eyes of a spider, the jaws of an alligator, the snout of a dog, the legs of a centipede, and the fins of a shark.  
And it immediately started to dash towards him!  
Mario screamed and turned around, half-expecting to trip over the odd little thing that was supposedly behind him. However, upon turning around, Mario found himself running across a large indoor bridge. Again, Mario was thinking _"WTF?! What IS all this?"_ The oddest thing was that he could still hear that devilish beast behind him, chasing him across the bridge! Mario was flipping out so much he was screaming like a madman!

All the while, Mario could hear the concerned voices of his friends. Their voices seeming to come from within the walls, from within the air, from everywhere and nowhere at the same time...  
_"Mario, why are you screaming? What's going on?"  
"Where ARE you Mario?!"  
"Are you OK? What's happening to you?!"_

_"Are you dead?!"_

The hissing and growling of the savage beast behind him made Mario's adrenaline kick in and make him run across the bridge at full speed, until he realized - this bridge didn't seem to have an end. It just seemed to lead to nowhere! And the monster was only getting closer and closer!  
Finally getting desperate, Mario whipped around to confront the beast...  
But found himself staring only at a blank, brick wall. No more monster.  
Mario just could not believe his eyes. Hell, he couldn't believe ANY of his senses! This was just too unbelievable!  
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" He yelled audibly.  
He heard the startled gasps of his friends. _"Mario, you mind your mouth!"_

_"What just happened, Mario?!"_ called out a worried Peach.  
Mario didn't answer. Instead, he got another idea.  
He turned around slowly...  
And saw not a bridge like was there before, but rather an infinitely long white room full of marble human sculptures.  
He thought now was beginning to understand how this place worked...

"Hey guys, can you hear me?" he called.  
_"Mario? Yes! YES We can hear you! What's happening?"  
_"Where are all of you?"  
_"Where are WE? We're still in this room! Where are YOU?"_  
"I'm, uhh... deeper in the temple..."  
_"What? What do you mean 'deeper'?"  
_"Listen, that's not important. What is important is that I think I understand the fundamentals of this place... sort of."  
_"What do you mean?"_

Mario forced himself to look in one direction - the direction which he could see this room of sculptures, because he knew that if he were to look in any other direction, he would encounter something completely different.  
That was how this place 'worked'. Every time Mario looked in a new direction, something would appear there that wasn't there before. What he might encounter was always a mystery, but it was always something...  
While Mario stared at the room of sculptures, he reached his hand back behind him. He felt the brick wall still there...  
It was from this that he deduced that once he saw something in this place, it would remain in that position relative to him until he looked in that same direction again, in which case it would become something completely new.  
What Mario had no idea of, though, was how he was going to use this knowledge to get out of here...

Mario did want to just let loose in this place and start looking for the Rainbow Relic, and perhaps even a way out, but he figured it was best not to be too hasty. If he could take the time to learn more about this place, it might make exploring it a bit easier. The Temple of Optics definitely seemed like a place where it was better to take things once step at a time...

Mario was still staring into the room lined with sculptures, with his hand still on the brick wall behind him. He wondered... If he turned around to at look at it, would it still see it there, since he still had a hand on it? Only one way to find out!  
Mario turned away from the statue-filled room and looked behind him.  
The brick wall was still there.  
Mario figured this had to be because he had 'proof' that it was still there despite the fact that he couldn't see it when he was turned away. His proof? He could still feel it with his hand!

Mario knew of course that he could simply turn horizontally to see new things in this place, but what if he were to look up at the ceiling, or down at the ground?  
Taking his hand off the brick wall, Mario looked up, but saw a plain marble ceiling.  
He looked down, but saw a plain marble floor.  
And yet when he looked back in the direction of the sculptures, they were gone. He now saw what looked like a giant fountain, but with no running water.  
From this, Mario knew that up and down were irrelevant in this place. It was all about what lie directly ahead...

Mario then turned around again. As he figured, the brick wall was gone. He now stared into a familiar room - the room with that little sheep-frog-Kirby! Whoa, this thing again? It struck Mario as odd that he'd encounter it again so soon, considering the scope of this place seemed nearly infinite.  
Hmm... Perhaps the scope if this place wasn't so big after all? Then, maybe the Rainbow Relic and the way out may not be as far away as he thought!  
And what of this creature? And that other big, scary one from earlier that had tried to kill him? What were they doing in here? Were they perhaps connected to this place? Were they even real?  
Mario reached down and patted the thing on the head. It made some cute noises.  
Mario deduced that these creatures were certainly real, at least to a certain extent. However, this also meant that if Mario ran into that huge beast again, it could really hurt him. And if he had already managed to run into this little cute guy twice, he'd have to be ready in case he met with the big monster once again...

_"Mario sweetie?!"_ he heard Ms Mowz call out. _"Are you still with us?!"_  
"Yeah!" Mario exclaimed. "Now, I want all of you to listen to me very carefully! As long as you have proof that something is in the room with you, your surroundings won't change! Once you lose that proof, they'll be completely different by the time you look again!"  
_"Mario, what are you talking about?!"_  
"Listen, you guys are all still in that room because you all have proof that you're still in there! You all can still see one another. Don't you get it? As long as someone's looking at you, or if you're looking at someone, you'll still be in that room! That must be why my surroundings changed and I lost you. It was because I was looking at the Map, and for but a split second, no one was looking at me!"  
Mario then thought of the creatures again after he said that, and looked down at the little cute one at his feet. Both creatures had certainly been looking at him when he was turned away, but they disappeared when he looked back at them, just like everything else in the temple. Maybe these things really were just a special part of this place - completely capable of human contact, but also capable of appearing and disappearing just like every non-living thing in there...

_"I... I still don't quite understand what you mean by your 'surroundings changing'!"_ Koops called, interrupting Mario's thoughts.  
"Well, uhh... That's just something you have to experience to understand!" Mario called back. There really was no way to explain.  
_"Any sign of the Rainbow Relic?"_ Verdugo called.  
"Not yet!" replied Mario.

_"Now let me get this straight..."_ Goombella explained. _"Are you saying we all have to make sure we're either looking at someone, or make sure someone is looking at us? Otherwise we're gonna... go someplace different?"  
_"Basically, yeah," Mario said.  
_"Oh, OK... Hey, wait! Where's Bobbery!?"  
"WHAT?! Oh no! First we lose Mario, and now Bobbery too! Why weren't you looking at him!?"  
"Hey, if he disappeared, YOU obviously weren't looking at him either!"  
"Well geez, HE must not have been looking at anyone of US either!"  
"Oh yeah... what a jerk!"_

Bobbery's voice was suddenly heard from within the temple. _"What in blazes? What is this stunning work of art...? Why, it's made of pure diamond! Oh my goodness, I've struck it rich!!"  
_"Bobbery! Did you get separated from the group?" Mario called.  
_"Huh? Um, yes. It would appear so. I suppose maybe I should've listened a little more and kept my eyes on the group, eh? Well, I have no idea where I am now, but hey! I can't really complain! Why, there's a large sparkling diamond statue in here, and I'm quite taken with it, I must admit!"  
_"Is it the Rainbow Relic?"  
_"No. It's MUCH larger and MUCH more priceless-looking!"  
_"Where is it in relation to you?"  
_"Right behind me, old boy!"  
_"Ogh... Sorry Bobbery, but unless you have your hand on it or something, it's gone..."  
_"Oh nonsense! All I have to do is turn around and- What the devil-!? Where did it go-? AAGGGHHH!! GIANT SNAKE-BAT-SHARK-SPIDER-CENTIPEDE DEVIL THING! RUUUUNNN!!"  
_Mario shook his head. He'd tried to warn him...

_"So Mario, should we avoid trying to keep our eyes off one another?"_ Peach asked.  
"No!" Mario answered over Bobbery's screams. "I say you ALL take your eyes off each other, and help Bobbery and I find the Rainbow Relic and a way out of here. Seriously, I have reason to believe that this dimensions of this place aren't quite as big as they may seem at first glance. I think if all eight of us look around, we'll be able to cover more ground!"  
_"But Mario!"_ Goombella protested. _"The encyclopedia said that you could become lost forever in here! If we send EVERYONE into the depths of the temple, there's a bigger risk that some of us may never find our way out! I mean, come on Mario! YOU haven't even found a way out yet!"_

Mario had begun to think about that, but Bobbery's persistent screaming was driving him nuts. "DAMMIT BOBBERY! IT'S NOT REAL!! JUST TURN AROUND AND THE MONSTER WILL BE GONE!! JESUS!!"  
Bobbery's voice sounded again. _"Wha-WHAT?! Uhmm... Uh... Oh, my. It's gone! Heheh... Oh, I feel foolish... But my, what are these lovely stained-glass windows? Beautiful!"  
_Mario was then able to think again. "OK guys, we do need more of you in here to help us search the place, but you're right Goombella. We can't risk any of us getting lost. OK, let's decide this now... Who should stay out there and who should come help us explore the Temple of Optics? Well, first of all, do we have any volunteers?"

It felt so weird talking to no one, or rather people he couldn't see - unless you count the little sheep-frog-Kirby, which was still sitting at Mario's feet and making cute noises.

_"Oh man, I SO wanna go!"_ Verdugo shouted. _"Can I come, Mario?" Can I?!"_  
"Can you take care of yourself?" Mario asked, not sure if he could.  
_"Of course! You know me, Mario! I'm the Great Gonzales Jr, baby!"  
_For some reason, that was enough to convince Mario. "Alright, fine. You can come."  
_"Alright! YES!!"_

"Any more volunteers?" Mario asked.  
_"I suppose I might be of some help,"_ Ms Mowz said. _"It'll be interesting being in a place full of illusions, seeing as, being a thief, I usually AM the illusion!"_  
"Um, but Ms Mowz, the things in this place are no illusion. They're real. Seriously..."  
_"Oh, well... I still want to come. May I sweetie?"  
_"Oh alright. You'd probably be more help than Bobbery anyway..."  
_"What was that, old boy?"_ Bobbery blurted. _"Oh, oh my! Look at these sculptures! Fabulous!"_

When Mario heard no more volunteers, he decided to recruit one of them himself. "Goombella. We might need you, too."  
_"Wha-wha... ME?"_ Goombella asked. _"But Mario, I think I'd be kinda freaked out!"  
_"C'mon Goombella, you're probably the smartest one out of all of us. It'd help us a lot if you could help."  
_"Ummm... Well, OK. But don't get mad if I scream a lot, OK?"_

"Alright, it's settled then," Mario announced. "Verdugo! Ms Mowz! Goombella! You three look away from the group. Peach, Koops and Flurrie, you guys can leave the temple. Just be sure to keep your eyes on each other while you do, alright?"  
_"OK!"_ All three of them shouted back.  
Mario listened for the voices of Verdugo, Goombella, and Ms Mowz... Once they looked away from one another and looked up again, and they saw their surroundings changed, they would most definitely say something...

_"What the... OMIGOSH! What just happened! The room just, like, totally changed!"  
"Oh my... You were right Mario. The world DOES seem to change when you turn away! Oh, I think I'm going to have fun in here..."_  
_"Oohoho man! WICKED! Hey Mario, I see a hallway! Should I walk down it?"_  
"Sure!" Mario cried. He was pretty confident that these three could handle themselves in here. In fact, the one he was still the most worried about was Bobbery... o.0  
Mario looked down at the little creature at his feet. "See you later, little guy. I gotta go do some more exploring!"  
The creature nodded, as though it understood. It probably heard this a lot.  
Mario then turned around, and began to run through the room of glass pillars that just happened to appear there...

It was kinda fun walking around the temple and listening to one another's outbursts that came out of nowhere. Goombella had evidently encountered both creatures already - she'd spent about 2 minutes talking about how cute the one little thing was, and another 2 minutes screaming her lungs out when the big multi-creature monster was chasing her. Since Mario knew she could just make it disappear by turning away and looking back, he just had to laugh at her.  
_"Omigosh, that is NOT funny Mario! If we happen to meet up, I'm gonna give you the worst Headbonk EVAR!"_  
"Meet up?" Mario asked. "Have any of you actually met up yet?"  
_"Yeah. Bobbery and I just met up a few minutes ago!"  
"Indeed Mario, old chap. Why, Goombella looked just about ready to lose her mind! Haha! Oh my, look at this bridge... Magnificent!"_

_"Hmm..."_ came the sound of Ms Mowz's voice. _"A brick wall, I see? Whoa, wait... There's something written here... Verdugo, honey? Have you been doing graffiti?!"  
"Huh? What? Oh, aw man! How'd you know it was me!?"_

_"It says 'SUCK MEH BALLS!" in permanent marker. I'd think I would know."  
"Oh, well... so what? May as well leave my mark here, know what I'm sayin'? Hehhe... What the-? HOLY CRAP! Is this that monster thing you've all been screaming about?! GAAAHHH!!"_

Mario was trying to maneuver his way through a room with several statues that looked like hands jutting out from the walls. For some reason, he seemed to think that if he could just keep advancing in whatever setting he was in, he might find a way out of this place...  
"Hey guys? Any sign of the Rainbow Relic?" he asked.  
_"No!"  
"Nope!  
"Sorry!"_  
"Hello Mario!"

Mario turned around and saw Ms Mowz standing there. Mario smiled. "Oh, hey! Ms Mowz! How are you?"  
"Umm... A little whacked out, but I'm OK now that I'm reunited with my handsome cheese-hunk!"  
"Heh..." Mario chuckled. "Well, you know that if we stay aware of each others' presence, our surroundings will never change, right?"  
"Of course I know that, sweetie! I'm just glad to see you're alright."  
"Oh, you were worried about me?"  
"Why of course! This IS a rather perplexing place. Someone could easily go nuts in here!"  
"Heh, I heard that!"

_"Hmm..."_ Bobbery's voice sounded, _"What's in this big room? Oh... Just a pair of trousers? Well, I suppose I can try them on. They look brand new!"  
_Mario laughed. "Man, that Bobbery..."  
"Tee hee! I know," Ms Mowz said. "He always did have a stranger side to him..."

Goombella's frightened voice suddenly screamed from the walls. _"Bobbery! Whatever you do, keep looking straight ahead!!"  
"What now? What's with you, you crazy lass? I don't see any harm... Now what's over heroo-_OOOHHH MY GOD! AAAAGGGHHHH!!"  
Bobbery's voice seemed to come from within the room Mario and Ms Mowz were in! They both turned their heads towards the sound of the voice, and there was Bobbery - hanging by his trousers from one of the hand statues!  
"M-Mario! M-Ms Mowz!" he yelled between gasps. "H-help... MEEEE!!"  
Mario and Ms Mowz sprinted towards him. Goombella's voice was heard at that moment. _"NOOO! 'TOMIC WEDGIIIIEEEE!!"_  
_"What? 'Tomic Wedgie?"_ Verdugo complained. _"Aww MAN! I SO wanna be there!!"_

Ms Mowz stood upon Mario's shoulders and hopped atop the hand statue. She fumbled with Bobbery's trousers for nearly a minute while he struggled desperately to escape. "OOOH, for the love of... It HUUURTS!!"  
"Quit whining!" Ms Mowz ordered. Not a second later, she managed to rip his trousers loose, causing him to fall to the floor with a tumble. He gave a sigh of relief and plopped on the ground.  
Mario and Ms Mowz looked at one another. "Let's just... leave him alone for a little while."  
"Good idea," Ms Mowz agreed. "Um, well then... I guess WE better split up and keep exploring then, eh?"  
"Yeah," said Mario. "Later Ms Mowz."  
"So long my little cheese-hunk!"  
As the two looked away from each other, Verdugo called out. _"How was the wedgie? Was it cooler than mine? Oh, was it cooler than Koops's? His was the BEST!"_

Mario turned around and looked back. As he'd suspected, Ms Mowz and Bobbery were no longer there. It made him somewhat sad and worried, because he wondered when would be the next time he would see them. He wondered if he would even see them again, seeing how fucked up this place was...  
Mario's thoughts were interrupted when he saw what was ahead of him. A long marble room...  
Accompanied by the Snake-dog-alligator-spider-shark-centipede-bat monster thing! It growled and immediately began to give chase!  
Mario was unafraid, though, for he knew all he had to do was look away and look back, and it'd be gone.  
He turned his head the other way, but before he turned it back, he stopped.  
What was that...?  
A door?!

Holy crap, it WAS a door! Sure, he had to work his way through about 10 swinging blades to get to it, but still! Could this door be a way out?  
Mario then heard the roar of the advancing monster. It was still there, and it would be until Mario looked back at it...  
But Mario couldn't take his eyes off the door, or it might disappear! This door might be the way to Rainbow Relic... and his escape!  
But could he really get through these swinging blades and reach the door before the monster got him?  
All of a sudden, Mario became very afraid. He had to come to a decision quick! That monster was approaching fast!

Mario stared intently at the door ahead, guarded by those silent, but deadly swinging blades. The roars of the creature behind him breached his mind and rang in the back of his head. Mario didn't know what to do...  
This door... He might get the chance to see it again later on, without the monster behind him...  
But when would that be? When was the next time he would see it again? Could this door appearing been a once-in-a-million thing, and he'd just gotten unfathomably lucky?  
Another snort from the creature signified that it was less than 20 feet behind him. This was more than enough of a wake-up call. It was instinct over logic now - Mario legged it and sprinted straight for the door!

Using some careful footwork and timing, Mario made a daring leap past the first blade. One down, nine to go! But man, there was hardly any room between these blades! He had less room to get ready and leap through the next one. All the while, Mario kept his eyes glued on the door.  
The perfect synchronization of the blades' swinging was very disorienting, but Mario was able to use the room he had to jump through the 2nd blade's path. However, he'd overjumped a bit, and found himself right in the path of the 3rd blade. Keeping his eyes on the door, Mario took a quick step back, and the 3rd blade swung down not a second later, inches from slicing off Mario's nose. The moment it ascended up the other way, he leapt through and was now between the 3rd and 4th blades.

A hiss and roar of the creature indicated to Mario that it was now at the first blade, and it wasn't sure how to past it to get Mario. This filled Mario with a feeling of hope. Was the monster unable to get through the blades?  
"Cool," thought Mario as he gracefully maneuvered through the paths of the 4th and 5th blades. "Looks like I can take my sweet time after all..."

A sudden _CRASH!_ stopped Mario dead in his tracks. He wanted to turn around to see what was happening, but he couldn't, so he made his best guess - the monster had yanked the first blade straight off the ceiling.  
Two seconds later, another CRASH!! sounded, a wee bit closer this time, and accompanied by a triumphant growl from the beast. The monster had already torn through 2 blades, and Mario still had five to go...  
"Holy crap," Mario muttered to himself, desperately hopping through another blade.

Mario tried as quickly as he could to make it past the remaining blades, but the monster behind him continued to shatter them at an astonishing rate. Mario could only look at the door... the only window to a possible escape! He couldn't look back now! He couldn't! He had to keep going! So... close...!

It finally came to a point where Mario was sandwiched between the 9th and 10th swinging blades. Just one more... He was waiting for the moment to make his daring move...  
_CRAAASH!!_  
Mario felt the blade inches behind him come crashing to the ground with great force! It's remains rained down upon Mario's body, and the fierce animal behind him hissed wickedly. Mario could feel it's hot breath on his back, ready to swallow him whole.  
And at that moment, the final blade was at the apex of its swing, the moment to jump...  
Mario let out a cry, and did a Superman-style leap directly through the blade's path, the beast's hungry jaws following him the whole way through...

Mario made it, and landed hard on his stomach. A second later, he heard a squeal and a sick ripping sound come from behind. A big snake tongue went limp and flopped on the ground near Mario's feet.  
Still being unable to turn around, he could only guess that the final blade had pierced the monster square in the side of the head. Gross...  
Mario brushed the tongue aside and stared at the door in front of him. The moment of truth. He reached for the knob, turned it, and opened the door inwards...

The Rainbow Relic!  
A violet-colored, heart-shaped Rainbow Relic!  
Sitting right on top of a pedestal, as though just waiting for him!  
Mario ran up to it without hesitation and picked it up in his gloved hands...

**_You got the Violet Rainbow Relic! Also known as the Heart of Courage!_**

Mario sighed heavily and stared at the sparkling beauty in his hands.  
The 7th Rainbow Relic. The final one.

He had found it, and now they possessed all seven...

He looked beyond the pedestal and saw an open door that led to sunlight. Could it be? The exit...?  
He eagerly stepped through... And found himself back on the marble staircase that had led up the temple's entrance, high above the ocean cliff top! Peach, Koops, Flurrie, and Vivian were all there. When they saw Mario with the Rainbow Relic in his hands, they all jumped for joy. "Mario, you found it!"  
"Good job!"  
"We knew you could do it!"  
"You're the best, Mario!"

Mario was still totally trippin', though. He looked back, and found he had indeed exited the temple through it's entrance. He looked in, and saw not a room with a pedestal, but the empty room he remembered when he and the gang had first walked in.  
What the...?  
Aw, whatever. No point in trying to make sense of the place anymore. He had the Heart of Courage, and he was outta there!  
"Hey Mario," asked Vivian. "Where's everybody else?"  
Mario frowned and slapped his forehead. "Aw crap..."

Mario re-entered the temple's lobby with Peach, holding hands so they wouldn't lose each other. They called out to the four who were still within the temple that they needed to look for a doorway behind a bunch of destroyed blades and a giant, brutally-impaled monster thing. They were instructed to keep looking in different directions until this scene happened to pop up, in which case they should make their way to the door to get out of there. Everyone understood, and they all followed his directions exactly. However, they were all kinda bummed to go since the Temple of Optics was kind of a fun place to explore. Goombella especially didn't want to leave, because she was sad about leaving behind her cutie little sheep-frog-Kirby thing XD.  
Eventually, though, they all made it out OK. Ms Mowz first, followed shortly by Verdugo, then Goombella, and lastly Bobbery, who was still aching a bit from his Atomic Wedgie.

Once the whole group was back together, Mario held up the Heart of Courage for all to see...  
It filled everyone with emotion, but not the kind they may have expected...  
They were happy to know they now possessed all 7 Rainbow Relics, yet it also made them a bit scared as well...  
For they didn't know just what would happen when all seven were placed in their post atop the Palace of the Gods once again...

Mario and his friends all stared up at the glorious grey and gold building that floated high up in the center of Morteva's sky. Since the beginning of Earth until 1000 years ago, the Rainbow Relics were placed that at the turret at the palace's very peak, and it was from that spot that The Rainbow once shown forth and provided the world with a godly shield against outside evil...  
And yet, 1000 years ago, The Rainbow Relics had been taken away and hidden, and The Rainbow ceased to be...  
And now, here, Mario and his team once again held the Relics in their hands...  
In their very hands, they held the power to bring back The Rainbow and return its godly essence to the sky...

"Haha! Look Mario! I made a dude out of the Rainbow Relic things! Isn't it awesome?"  
Verdugo had laid all the Rainbow Relics on the floor, and since they each represented a different part of the body, they were arranged in a way to look like a person, the Heart of Courage right where the heart should be as well. "Cool, huh?"  
Mario had to laugh. "Yeah, it is actually. Cool that we have all seven Rainbow Relics now..."  
"Yup," said Peach. "I suppose there's nothing to do now but return them to their post atop the Palace of the Gods and... see what happens."  
"Seriously," Koops said. "It's so weird... We're not sure whether these things will bring us eternal protection or world destruction..."  
Vivian seemed to be shifting nervously off to the side. Something was clearly bothering her. "Is there a new poem verse to read...?" she asked faintly.

In secret, everyone had been asking that question in the backs of their minds. The Poem... The center of this entire mystery. And from what they understood, there was but one more verse to read.  
Mario picked the Heart of Courage up off the ground with one hand and pulled the Crystal Ball out with the other. Peach took out the Map and held it up.  
Hoping the spirit within the Crystal Ball would sense the 7th Rainbow Relic, they waited for it to print the highly anticipated, yet dreadfully feared final poem verse on the back of the Map...  
They waited for a long time...  
But nothing happened.  
And after a while, it was clear that nothing was going to...

Mario raised an eyebrow and gazed into the Crystal Ball. The purple-black smoke within seemed to shift around more excitedly than ever. He stared into it angrily...  
"What do you want from us, you bitch?" he asked in a low voice.  
"Mario..." Flurrie said in a worried tone. "Don't let it get to you..."  
"But why isn't anything happening?" Verdugo asked.  
"I have no clue..." Mario said. "But maybe talking a bit about this whole mystery might help us understand a bit more. It's understanding we crave, isn't it? Maybe if we actually manage to get some, we might not crave as much in the end..."  
"No one was sure whether or not that was such a great idea, but they decided to anyway. Maybe Mario was right. Maybe they COULD ease a bit of that stress that was upon them all if they understood a bit more...

"Alright then," Ms Mowz said, "First of all, I suggest we read what we already have of the poem, just to refresh our memories. I'm sure by this point, we'll get much more of what it's trying to tell us..."  
Everyone agreed that was a good place to start. Peach held up the Map and began to read, and as she did, everyone began to formulate in their heads exactly what they were sure the words meant...

_**Protector of the Sky  
Grounded by the eye  
Of the ever-growing beast  
Which the light is its feast...**_

The Rainbow was clearly the Protector of the Sky, and the ever-growing beast that 'feeds on light' grounded it, or rather made it disappear. This was figured out a long time ago...

**_Born from dark hearts  
We seize the Gods' Arts  
We live to see die  
The Protector of the Sky..._**

The Gods' Arts are the Rainbow Relics, so again, these evil beings took the Relics away from their post to make The Rainbow disappear. It also explains that these dark beings were 'born from dark hearts'. Nothing they didn't already understand...

**_Crooks, rogues and thieves  
Plague a town by the sea,  
This dark and shadowed war,  
A baby girl, it bore..._**

This one was a bit hazy, but now that it was clear that the Shadow Queen was somehow involved in this conspiracy, it very well could've been her. It was clearly describing Rogueport and the thief/syndicate war going on there. Was the Shadow Queen one of those that were 'born of dark hearts', or rather, born of concentrated hatred and ill will? Rogueport was a pretty bad place... It made sense...

_**A land of toadstools  
Where a monarchy rules  
And where kings kill for joy  
And spawn an infant boy...**_

Exactly the same as the previous verse, but this one spoke of a baby boy who was born in The Mushroomian Empire, as Goombella called it. This 'boy' was a product of the evil found in the hearts of the kings, much like the girl. However, while Mario and co knew of a Shadow Queen, there was no information of a man being in league with her.

A Shadow King, perhaps...?

_**When a gent loves a lass  
Overseas they may pass,  
And when together in love,  
May the world drown in blood...**_

After the previous two verses, this one was fairly straightforward - the aforementioned girl and boy met overseas as adults and fell in love. But 'May the world drown in blood...?" Seemed like something that might relate to a relationship between a Shadow King and Queen. It also made them wonder if perhaps the 'couple' they'd heard so much about might very well be these two...

_**The Gods' Arts, we take  
The God's Arts, we reshape,  
So when in their post again,  
They shall bring the world's end...**_

This was perhaps the most intriguing of all. It was written in first-person, and the only other verse written as such so far was the 2nd, which was written by the dark beings that had stole the Relics. They claim to have stolen and "reshaped" them, whatever that meant, so that when they were put back in their post, they would "bring the world's end". Exactly what this meant was anyone's guess. Very intriguing indeed...

_**Four heroes halt our plans,  
We hide the Arts across the lands,  
And seek refuge in our dens  
We shall meet one day again...**_

All of them remembered the myth of the Four Heroes who had imprisoned the Shadow Queen behind The Thousand-Year Door. From this, they figured the Four Heroes actually tried to stop the couple from doing whatever it was they planned to do with the Relics, so the couple was forced to halt their plans. The two must've chosen to hide the Relics in places where they could never be found, then separated and retreated back to their respective homelands (the woman to Rogueport, the man to Mushroomian Empire) so that they could hide for a while and later resume their work. They must've been sad to leave one another, but they promised to "meet one day again"...

_**Four heroes trap my bride,  
She's no longer by my side,  
Not 'til open once more  
Is the Thousand-Year Door...**_

Clearly written by the man (or shall we say the Shadow 'King') after his "bride" was trapped behind the Thousand-Year Door by the Four Heroes. This was a total slap-in-the-face clue that the couple throughout the poem and the stories they'd heard was indeed the Shadow Queen and her, umm... King...

Reading The Poem all the way through once again really made everything a lot clearer, yet it also brought up several other questions...  
"Hey guys," Koops thought. "I think it's pretty clear the woman in the poem is the Shadow Queen, right? And it says she was born in Rogueport, yeah? But... 1,000 years ago, Rogueport didn't exist! It was that 'peaceful, prosperous town' spoken of in all the fairy tales. Hell, the Shadow Queen was the one that DESTROYED that town, which is the only reason why Rogueport was even built! Why is the town in which the Shadow Queen was born in described like Roguport when it should've been that peaceful, happy town? Besides, I doubt a place like THAT could have enough hatred and ill will brewing within it to give birth to something like the Shadow Queen..."

Everyone understood what Koops was trying to ask, but no one could find a suitable answer...  
"Unless..." Bobbery declared, "This ancient town wasn't truly as happy and peachy as the fairy tales claim..."  
"Yeah..." Verdugo said. "Maybe the fairy tales aren't true. Maybe that old town was just like Rogueport. Maybe even worse! If the Shadow Queen was born out of something like that, I'd believe it!"  
They all seemed to agree that this was a fair assumption and moved on.

"So what of this Mushroomian Empire?" asked Flurrie asked. "Goombella dearie, you know much of it, right? Please explain the poem's passage regarding it, if you could..."  
"Sure," Goombella said. "The Mushroomian Empire once ruled where the Mushroom Kingdom stands today. The rulers were TOTALLY vicious, especially one by the name of Grunt T. He was the one who established the Atomic Wedgie as his highest form of punishment. He wedgied thousands... from the worst of murderers to the most common of thieves... thousands. Some even to death. The pain and agony of so many suffering that horrible fate... I'd believe it if that somehow gave birth to an evil being like a Shadow King. In fact, 10 years after he began his reign, Grunt T died an unexplained death and the Mushroomian Empire collapsed. It's true... maybe the Shadow King guy had something to do with it?"

"Well," Peach said. "I think we've made almost complete sense of this poem now! There's evidently still one verse left to read, but... hey, we understand basically everything now, right?"  
Everyone agreed, and it made them glad and glum at the same time to hear that.  
Yet for some reason, there was still so much to be answered...

Mario stood in front of the group. "OK, so we understand the poem. That's great. But the poem talks only about the Rainbow Relic conspiracy 1,000 years ago... There's still so much we don't know about what's happening with it NOW! TODAY! I mean, come on - First of all, if there's a Shadow King, then where is he now? Can anyone answer that?"  
No one could.  
"Oh, and how about that messenger guy? Does anyone know who he was or why he invited Vivian and all of us here, and basically sent us on this quest in the first place? And, where is HE now, huh!?"  
Again, everyone was clueless.  
"And what about Bobbery's boarding pass delivery boy? Who was he?"  
Still, no one knew.  
"And who the hell blew up the Elation, our only way home, to strand us here? Any ideas?"  
Everyone shook their heads.  
"You see?" Mario asked. "We've been so focused on the past, that we forgot about the present! What's happening today! Isn't that just as important, if not more so?"

They all agreed with what Mario was saying.  
"You're right Mario," Peach said. "But I'm sure we can find answers if we discuss it on the way to the Palace of the Gods. We really should start heading over there, don't you think?"  
"Well, why discuss?" asked Koops. "One we place the Relics and see whether they save or destroy the world, no explanation will be needed anymore... so what's the point?"

Mario stared out over the ocean cliff top that he and his friends stood upon. The sun was beginning to set over the horizon, casting a blanket of shiny orange-gold along the ocean and across the sky.  
"Well..." he said, "We may as well discuss what's going on right now, while we walk. But we'd better hurry. She said she wanted the Relics in their post by sundown."  
"Who's 'she'...?" asked Vivian.  
Mario shook his head. "...I don't know. But let's get going right away."  
And with that, the gang turned their backs to the Temple of Optics and began to head back towards the Plains of Eden, where they would find the stone slab that would once again take them to the Palace of the Gods...

* * *

"So, first things first," Peach began. "If the Shadow Queen and her husband-"  
"Just call him the Shadow King!" Verdugo exclaimed. "That's basically what he is, right? Geez..."  
"Ugh, fine... If the Shadow Queen and Shadow King are the couple who hid the Relics in the first place, then that means they're back now trying to finish whatever it was they started 1,000 years ago, right? Which means they're back to 'bring the world's end', right? So if that's true, then where are they now?"  
"Hmm..." thought Flurrie. "Well, the creepy smoke within that Crystal Ball that writes the poem verses and apparently possesses Vivian... Didn't we reach the conclusion that perhaps that could be the Shadow Queen's spirit?"  
"But why would the Shadow Queen want to possess me?" Vivian asked. "I worked for nearly 1,000 years trying to bring her back. Of course, I abandoned that work once I befriended Mario... You think maybe she could she be exacting revenge on me?"  
Mario's head was really throbbing for some reason. Not hurting, but just... He didn't know. It was like something he'd forgotten was trying to be remembered...

"No," he said to Vivian. "That's not what she wants with you..."  
Vivian looked at him curiously. "What? You... You know what the Shadow Queen wants?"  
"Urrrghhh!" Mario groaned. "I know I do! I know it's in my head somewhere but it just doesn't wanna come out!"  
Vivian looked down nervously while Mario continued to breathe heavily and curse to himself. "OK..." she said. "I'll... let you think about it."

"Oh, and the matter of the Elation's explosion..." Flurrie said. "What do you think could've caused that? Do you think it was mere coincidence?"  
Ms Mowz thought about that as well. "I don't think so. The boat exploding just as we were about to board? Seems like someone wanted to strand us here so we'd be forced to search for the last Rainbow Relic..."  
"But if the explosion was intentional..." Koops thought, "As in, you know, planned... caused by someone's hands... who did it then? It seemed as though the boat blew up where it's main motor would be, and as far as I know, a motor of that size can only completely explode with the help of a huge electrical discharge - but it would have to be a crapload of electricity, like that found in a lightning bolt. Yeah... basically, a bolt of lightning is the only thing I can think of that could make the motor blow up like THAT..."  
This made Vivian start to act a bit uneasy, as was noticed by those walking near her.

Bobbery then had a thought. "Ah yes, about the mysterious person who delivered my boarding pass... The short one who wore the cloak and that red and gold pendant... I've rattled my poor noggin trying to determine who that was!"  
Peach suddenly remembered where she'd met someone with that description. "Oh my goodness..." she said. "That... That's the merchant I met in Rogueport six months ago! The one who gave me the Magical Map that led to the Crystal Stars!"  
Everyone gaped in surprise and confusion. "Seriously?!"  
"Yes!" She exclaimed. "But what does he have anything to do with this? Why was he following Parakarry to make sure each and every boarding pass was delivered?"  
Vivian shifted uncomfortably. "Umm... Bobbery, you said this person appeared before you during a storm?"  
"Yes, precisely," he answered.  
"Was it cold?"  
"Why, yes. Of course. I even saw flakes of snow upon the deck after it passed."  
"And you claim this person just disappeared without a trace?"  
"Indeed."  
"Like... almost as though they may have just... slipped into the shadows?"

Everyone stopped walking and looked at Vivian. She was rubbing her arm nervously, as though she was just revealing something that she might have known for a long time.  
"What do you mean by that, Vivian?" Bobbery asked.  
"The cold storm," she explained. "Ice magic... Don't you know anyone who can use ice magic?"  
No one answered, even though she knew they already knew who she was talking about.  
"Beldam... She's the one who delivered your pass, Bobbery. She was the one who followed Parakarry and made sure all of you got yours. Incidentally, she's also the one who took all your passes away so you couldn't get back on the boat. She's here..."  
Vivian took a deep breath and continued. "Marylin, too. Koops, you said only an electrical force equivalent to that of a bolt of lightning could've blown the Elation's motor, right? That was Marylin. She used her lightning magic to make the boat explode..."  
Vivian looked down sadly. "Yeah... My sisters are here... and they're helping to continue and finish what our King and Queen started..."

Peach stared in disbelief. "You mean... Beldam was the one who gave me the Magical Map six months ago?"  
"And did you know there was a Shadow King this whole time?" Mario asked, a trace of anger in his voice.  
Vivian hesitated to speak. "Y-Yes..." she replied nervously. "But please, let me explain. You see, 1,000 years ago, when the our Queen was first sealed behind the Thousand-Year Door, our King gave me and my sisters each a job that was to be done within the next 1000 years, come the time the door was meant to open again. Beldam was given the task of finding a pure-hearted maiden that could open the chest containing the Magical Map, as well as serve as the Shadow Queen's physical vessel for when she was awakened. That's why she disguised herself as a merchant and gave you the box, Peach..."  
"Oh..." Peach said. "I understand it now..."

"So then what was Marilyn's job?" Goombella asked.  
"Marylin had sort of a two-way job. You see, she was supposed to find an alien race that we might try and convince to help with the search for the Crystal Stars. She did so by finding the X-nauts, which fell into our plot easily. However, the X-naut invasion also doubled as the thing that might put the Gods into a 'We have to find the Rainbow Relics to prevent this from ever happening again!' kind of frenzy. See, the Gods themselves may have finished what our King and Queen had started if they'd ever bothered to look for the Relics themselves after they were lost, but seeing as no aliens had tried to invade since then, they didn't seem to mind. Hell, even though Marylin succeeded in finding the X-nauts, Reinus didn't seem to care about the X-naut threat. If it hadn't been for that guy Zanthir, I'm sure it never would've struck him as even a big deal. I still don't know why that Zanthir guy talked about me like I was the greatest thing ever..."

"Interesting," said Mario. "And so, what was YOUR job then...?"  
"My job," said Vivian, "Was to look for the Crystal Stars. Easy as that. Of course, to do that, I had to transfer my Queen's last curse through my own magic to bestow upon the four heroes who had trapped her..."  
"YOU cursed the four heroes?" Goombella asked, stunned.  
"...Yes, I did..." Vivian said sadly. "Using my Queen's last bit of magic, which she transferred to me. I had to. I had no other choice... However, while I did curse them, I didn't know where they had hidden the Crystal Stars. I needed Beldam to find a maiden to open that box so I could just use the Magical Map. When I finally heard it happened, I was really happy that I might get to finish my job, but..."  
"But I ended up with the Magical Map before you." Mario concluded.  
"Yeah," Vivian replied. "So I figured maybe I could just somehow use the holder of the Map into gathering the Crystal Stars for me, so that-"  
Vivian then gasped and covered her mouth. She'd said too much.  
Everyone stared at her with very serious expressions. Mario looked especially angry. His fists clenched and his face turned red. "You... USED us?!"

"Mario, please!" Vivian begged. "I didn't mean-"  
"You knew the whole time the devil we would unleash with those Crystal Stars, and you just let us walk right into it?!"  
Vivian began to quiver. "Y-Yes, but..." she said. It was clear she was going to cry.  
"And now the Shadow Queen and King are back to claim the Rainbow Relics... because of you?!"

Vivian couldn't deny it. It was true - The Shadow King and Queen only managed to make it this far in resuming their 1,000-year-old plans because of the efforts of her and her sisters...  
"Please forgive me..." she begged. "Please..."  
She looked around at her friends. "Please!"

No one was sure what to say.  
Mario evidently didn't need to say anything. He merely continued to walk on.  
One by one, the rest of them walked with Mario, leaving Vivian behind to shed her tears alone...  
The only ones that stayed behind for even a short while to show some sympathy were Flurrie and Ms Mowz. But they, too, couldn't help but feel hurt by Vivian's confession. They merely gave her disheartened sighs and walked ahead as well.

Vivian was alone.  
Crying her eyes out.  
She'd never wanted to hurt them. They were her friends...  
The only people in the world that had ever treated her with kindness. With respect. Like they wanted her there...  
But now, they had turned their backs.  
And left her all alone.  
She cried and cried, knowing that she could never undo her past mistakes...

"There, there..." came soothing voice from behind. "Don't cry honey, don't cry..."  
Vivian sniffled and turned around. When she saw who it was, her chest swelled with a mixture of emotions...


	10. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

**- **_**One King to Rule Them All**_** -**

'Thousand-Year Door?' 'Rainbow Relics?' 'Shadow King?!' Doopliss was having trouble juggling all the info that he'd just heard from Mario and the gang. What the hell was going on this stupid island?

After Doopliss had confessed his love to Vivian, he'd felt his heart suddenly sink into the depths of his chest. He just felt so sorry for Vivian that she had to be loved by such a goddamn failure like himself. He'd spent almost the entire night just thinking... Thinking about how much he just wished he could control his feelings and somehow remove the love he had for Vivian, just to make her happy. He thought perhaps his life would've been better had he never met her...  
And yet as the sun had begun to rise, Doopliss realized that wasn't true. His love for Vivian is what saved him from the spell of the Crystal Star, and it's what drove him to leave Twilight Town and the Creepy Steeple in the first place. Honestly, did he still want to live all by himself in that dreary old church with nothing but a shiny rock to keep him company? No way! Doopliss was overjoyed to have found something, someone... that he could love. And as that one dude in _The Wedding Singer_ said, "If you find someone you can really love, that's special. That's not something you can just let go..." Or something like that.

He had later witnessed them all attempting to board the Elation by riding Flurrie, only to have the boat explode right in front of them. After that, they decided that since they were stranded with Grodus, Crump, and Bowser, they might try to find the last Rainbow Relic so that Grodus would die or something. Doopliss decided to follow them after that. He wasn't sure why, but he just had a feeling Vivian was being led into some sort of danger... He followed them to the Temple of Optics (though he didn't go inside, because Vivian didn't either... plus, he was a total wuss), and was now following them through the Plains of Eden towards the Palace of the Gods so they could place the Rainbow Relics. It was between then and now that he heard everything they said...

The Shadow Queen was back... Back to finish something she started with the Rainbow Relics 1,000 years ago... And she was inside that little Crystal Ball and possessing Vivian.  
Doopliss couldn't believe it - so THAT was the demon who had possessed her that night in the motel!

You see, Doopliss had run away after confessing his love to Vivian, but he returned to the motel a few hours later to maybe say something in apology, but he instead witnessed Vivian walking out of her room and into the one Mario was in. Also, her hair had been all funny and flaily and stuff. So Doopliss then listened from beyond the door and heard all this crazy stuff about Shadow Queens and Relics and something about possessing Vivian's body and creating an evil heart, and... something about a husband...

Now that Doopliss knew so much, he was able to piece it together to make a somewhat reasonable story, though he still wasn't too sure about the whole thing. He was still following them through the Plains of Eden and eavesdropping, right now hiding behind a rock, when he heard something awful...  
Vivian had used Mario to get the Crystal Stars for her so she could revive the Shadow Queen 6 months ago...  
No way. Vivian was too sweet to do anything like that. It couldn't be possible!  
Doopliss looked over from behind the rock, and saw Mario and everyone walking off without her, leaving her to cry on her own.  
Poor thing. She really did seem sorry for what she'd done. Maybe he could've gone over and consoled her a bit...

But before he could make any moves, he saw two others fly into the scene and fly in right behind Vivian. Doopliss recognized one - it was Parakarry, the loon he'd sung the YMCA with.  
But the other he didn't know. It was a big, floating stone head that looked like it could've come straight from an ancient Mayan temple. What the hell was that thing?

The stone head guy lowered himself behind the crying Vivian.  
"There, there..." he said lovingly. "Don't cry honey, don't cry..."  
'Honey?' Who was this guy, and why was he calling Vivian 'honey'? Seems like something only a dad would call her baby girl or something.  
Vivian turned around, and saw the floating stone head behind her, along with Parakarry, who waved. Doopliss could only judge from her mouth and body language, but he wasn't sure if Vivian was happy, sad, or kinda scared to see them.  
"...W-who are you?" she asked.  
The floating head guy curved his rocky lips up into a smile. "...They call me Zanthir."  
Vivian's mouth seemed to droop. "Oh, right. I've heard of you... You think I'm just the greatest thing in the world, don't you? Just because you think I killed the X-nauts?"  
Zanthir chuckled. "The X-nauts... are over. They're not important anymore. What is important... is that you've come back to me."  
"What do you mean?" Vivian asked, clearly intimidated. "And why did you call me 'honey'?"

Zanthir's smile didn't disappear. Man, the look on that guy's stony face... You'd think he'd just fallen in love or something! Or that he'd just found someone he loved that he hadn't seen for 1,000 years!

Whoa... Doopliss had meant that as a joke, but that last thought struck him as very serious. Why was that?

"I'm just so happy to finally see you, Vivian..." Zanthir replied. "To finally see you again..."  
"I still don't know what you mean," she said, getting scared.  
"Please, don't be afraid," he said. "Why, I remember when you were just-"  
"Um, sorry to interrupt," blurted Parakarry, "But don't we need to get up to that there Palace of the Gods? Looks like Mario and his friends have already used that stone slab thingy over yonder ta get up there!"  
Zanthir grimaced and looked up at the palace in the sky. "At last..." he whispered.  
He then looked at Vivian and Parakarry. "You two wish to witness that placing of the Rainbow Relics, right?"  
Vivian nodded. "Yeah... that was supposed to be a special moment to share with my friends..."  
"Right then!" Zanthir exclaimed. "Vivian, hop aboard! Parakarry, follow behind me. Let's go!"

And so Vivian reluctantly slipped into the shadows and reappeared on Zanthir's head, and Zanthir and Parakarry began to fly off.

Doopliss thought hard. He'd heard in that weird conversation between Mario and possessed Vivian the night before that her _husband_ had been inhabiting the body of a God the past 1,000 years. Her husband would probably be the Shadow King, so...  
His heart suddenly swelled with fear. "Oh no..."  
He looked up at Zanthir and Parakarry, who were now but two dots in the orange sky, flying towards the palace.  
"I have to get up there..." he whispered to himself. "I have to save her..."

"Hey, YOU!" came a gruff voice from behind.  
Doopliss whipped around and saw Grodus, Bowser and Crump standing there, all looking like they were ready to do something rash.  
"Was that not Vivian I saw speaking with that strange stone head?" Grodus asked. "Because remember what we said to you... You refused to help us locate her, so I vowed to kill her right in front of her if I ever found her! Now then, where are they headed!? Speak, or I will have Bowser and Crump flatten you!"  
"Yeah! Bowser roared. "I want Peach!!"  
"And I want an X-Box!" exclaimed Crump.

When Doopliss didn't speak, Grodus quickly grew impatient. "Bowser! Crump! SEIZE HIM!!"  
Bowser and Crump both charged and each grabbed Doopliss by one of his arms. They lifted him up, but Doopliss made no attempt to fight back.  
"Now then, Doopliss..." Grodus said threateningly. "You tell us right now where Vivian and Peach have gone. Last time, I only threatened to kill Vivian right in front of you. This time, though, I vow to kill YOU if you don't speak!"  
"OK," Doopliss said. "I'll tell you..."

"Huh?" asked Crump.  
"Huh?!" asked Bowser.  
"HUH?!" exclaimed a very surprised Grodus. "You... Y-you'll actually tell us where they're going?" Grodus asked.  
"Yes," Doopliss promised.  
"You won't, like, lead me the wrong way or give me bad directions or anything like that?"  
"Honest. I'll tell you where they are."  
"Well, this is a surprise..." said Grodus. "I thought you cared for Peach's and Vivian's safety - especially Vivian's..."  
"I do," Doopliss replied. "That's why I'm willing to tell you where they are. You three may be my only hope of saving them all."

Bowser promptly let go of Doopliss's arm, causing Doopliss to drop and Crump to lose balance and fall on his ass. "Whoa whoa WHOA..." Bowser said, backing up. "I'm not gonna be doing any SAVING of any sort! No way! I'm the King of Evil! Saving is the total opposite of what I do!"  
Doopliss shook his head. "No Bowser. You're not the King of Evil. In fact, the true King of Evil is upon us right now. He and his queen, too..."  
Doopliss then stared intently at Grodus. "You do know which _queen_ I'm talking about, don't you?"

Grodus stared up at Doopliss. Even through Grodus's goggles, you could tell his eyes were filled with confusion and anger. "No... It's not possible... You don't mean the Shadow Queen, do you?"  
"I do, Slick. The same Shadow Queen who you were tricked into resurrecting, and the same Shadow Queen who blew your body to hell."  
Grodus groaned, as though reminded of the painful fact that he was but a head with no body. "Grrrhhh... I thought she was dead!"  
"Evidently not, man. And from what I understand, there's a Shadow King as well - a man who's waited 1,000 years for the Shadow Queen to be freed from the Thousand-Year Door so they could resume their plans - their plans to destroy the world!"

Grodus's eyebrows shot up. "Destroy the world!? That's MY job! No way that shadow bitch is gonna beat me to that, whether or not she does have a king by her side!"  
"Oh," Doopliss said. "And since the Shadow Queen is only a ghost and can only survive in a stupid Crystal Ball, she plans to invade Vivian's heartless body and create a heart from scratch - a heart of pure evil, so she can have a physical form again."  
"...Does that mean she's gonna kill Vivian?"  
"Essentially, yes."  
"WHAT?! Where are they?!"  
Doopliss pointed straight up at the Palace of the Gods in the sky overhead. "Right up there in that tower. And I think the rites are gonna be completed puh-retty soon..."

Grodus growled. "URGH! NOOO!! _I _was supposed to kill Vivian! Bowser, head to the docks and get the Koopa Klown Car ready, pronto!"  
"Aye aye, sir!" Bowser saluted. He immediately bolted at high speed across the plains towards the dock. As he ran, he screamed, "Peach, I'm coming for you! Try not to get killed by the Shadow King, so I can kidnap you...!"

"So," Grodus continued in a casual tone. "The Shadow Queen plans to possess Vivian permanently... I bet that makes you pretty worried, doesn't it Doopliss?"  
Doopliss sighed. "More worried than you'll ever know. God, I hope I make it in time..."  
Crump walked over and patted Doopliss on the back. "Yup, I know how you feel bud. It sucks when someone who owes you money dies. You just can never get the money after that, ya know?"  
Grodus and Doopliss looked at him like he was an idiot. He was clearly used to that look cuz he merely nodded and turned away.

Suddenly, the whir of a helicopter blade sounded from far across the plains. It grew louder as it approached, and within seconds, Bowser's Koopa Klown Car came flying in from across the sunset-lit sky. It lowered down carefully, parting the grass with the wind from its propeller.  
"Hop in, guys!" Bowser called. "And hurry up! I've got a princess to kidnap!"  
Doopliss and Crump helped Grodus's head into the vehicle. "I've got a witch to get revenge upon!" Grodus exclaimed.  
Crump jumped in shortly after. "I've got... uhhh...something important to do, too!"  
Doopliss finally jumped in himself, and as he did, he stared up at the palace in the clouds.  
"And I've got a love to save..." he said to himself.

With that, Bowser grabbed the controls and kicked the Koopa Klown Car into high gear, causing it to rocket up into the orange-glazed cloudy sky towards the Palace of the Gods.  
This was it. The final trial...  
Nearly five days of adventuring, and it all came down to a final battle against two of the most evil beings ever to be born out of the wickedness found in the hearts of the common people...  
A final battle over the awesome power of the Gods themselves...

_Who will win?  
Who will succeed in governing the godly power of the Rainbow?  
Only time will tell..._

* * *

Zanthir, with Vivian on top of his head, landed in the Palace's docking bay and allowed Vivian off. Parakarry lagged in behind them, completely winded from that flight that he'd had to do for the 3rd time.  
The three accompanied one another through the hallways of the palace. Vivian was still a bit teary from the truth she'd revealed to her friends earlier, but Zanthir seemed to be giving every ounce of his will just to make her feel better. Parakarry simply observed, not saying anything, but still wondering about the true relationship between these two...

The three climbed several flights of stairs, climbing closer and closer to the palace's summit. They were headed for the turret at the very top, where Mario and his friends were planning to place the seven Rainbow Relics, and hopefully bring back The Rainbow for the first time in 1000 years.  
Zanthir and Vivian were both very excited about this, but Parakarry didn't seem to care a whole lot. He'd done what he wanted to do already. He really had no more reason to be in Morteva. What was it that made him stay and follow Zanthir all over the place? Maybe there was something he sensed that he didn't like and hoped to observe more closely...?

Zanthir suddenly stopped. "Let's get Reinus," he said. "I have a feeling he'll want to witness the placing of the Rainbow Relics."  
"Good idea," Vivian said. "Where is he again?"  
"He's just down this hall, ain't that right?" Parakarry asked.  
"Yup," Zanthir exclaimed excitedly. "C'mon!"  
Zanthir quickly flew down the hall, making Vivian and Parakarry chase after him. They found he'd stopped in front of the door to Reinus's room.

Zanthir lightly tapped his rocky body against the door. "Hello? Reinus?"  
Reinus's godly voice sounded from beyond. _"I said no more cookies!!"  
_"Oh, don't worry! It's just me, Zanthir! Parakarry's here, too! And we also brought a special guest - Vivian!"  
Silence from behind the door.  
_"...Zanthir, come in. Leave your guests outside."  
_"Sure thing!" Zanthir said. The door opened slightly. Zanthir squeezed through and it shut behind him. Vivian and Parakarry were left standing alone in the hallway.

Parakarry put his hands on his hips. "Well gee, that's not like Reinus. He's usually happy ta have guests! Why would he only wanna talk ta Zanthir?"  
"Because Reinus doesn't like me..." Vivian said sadly.  
Parakarry turned to her with a puzzled expression. "He doesn't like YOU? Why, how could anyone not like you Vivian? You're as sweet as they come!"  
Vivian still looked glum. "Thanks, but... I think it's because I'm a Shadow Siren. You know, a pawn of the Shadow King and Queen. The evil beings that stole the Rainbow Relics from their post in the first place..."  
"Oh... I see." Parakarry said. "Well, once Reinus really gets to know you, he'll realize just how wrong he was!"  
Vivian forced a smile. "Thanks Parakarry. That makes me feel a little better..."

Parakarry just couldn't bring himself to be happy when he saw Vivian so sad. "Whatsa matter, sugar? I've been meanin' ta ask, but... Why were you all alone in the field cryin' while Mario and everyone else was on their way to the palace?"  
Vivian felt the tears of regret beginning to flow again. "I... I told them the truth that... When I first joined Mario, I was only using him to find the Crystal Stars so that could revive my queen. That... I was only pretending to be their friend..."

"Oh my..." Parakarry uttered in shock. It was unpleasantly surprising that Vivian could ever do such a thing, but his shock then became confusion. "But Vivian, if you've only been pretending to be their friend all this time, why do you feel so bad about it?"  
Vivian looked up. "Because somewhere along the line... I realized that they really WERE my friends. They were the only people who ever treated me like they wanted me there... Not even my sisters or my king or queen ever acted that way towards me..."  
Vivian then buried her face in her gloved hands again.

Parakarry gently caressed her arm. "Aww... I'm awfully sorry Vivian. Are you afraid that if you go up there and greet Mario, he'll reject you?"

Vivian nodded.  
"Well he should be smart enough to understand that you're sorry about what you did! Shoot, I traveled with Mario on an adventure once, and I swear to you he was the most forgiving man I ever darn met! I can't imagine he'd still he all upset about what you did, especially considerin' how sorry you feel!"  
Vivian looked up at him. "That's what I thought, too. But... he's changed so much since we started this adventure. He's not the Mario I met and care about anymore... I don't know what it is about him, but he's just not the same. I just wish I knew what it was that's making him this way..."  
"Well then... let's find out together!" Parakarry exclaimed.

Vivian gave a genuine smile. At that moment, Parakarry seemed to be the only person in the world that really cared about her.  
Of course, there was also Zanthir, but he was so loving it kind of freaked her out a bit...  
And then there was Doopliss too, but she had no idea where he was...  
In fact, thinking about Doopliss suddenly made her feel very sad, and for the first time, she actually felt as though she wanted to see him again...  
Vivian sighed heavily. "Thanks Parakarry," she said, giving him a hug.

A sudden ruckus erupted from behind the door. Reinus's voice.  
_"What?! Mario and his party have found all seven Rainbow Relics?"  
"Yes Mr Reinus!"  
"And they're scaling the palace at this very moment, ready to return them to their post!?"  
"Affirmative sir!"  
"__**OH SNAP! WE HAVE TO SEE THIS!!**__"_

The door suddenly burst open, and out ran Reinus, followed closely by Zanthir. Reinus looked down at Parakarry and Vivian. "Come!" he announced. "The Rainbow! For the first time in 1000 years... The Rainbow is finally coming back!" With that, he bolted down the hall and ran up the stairs like an excited little school boy. Zanthir struggled to keep up. "Vivian, honey! C'mon! And you too, Parakarry!" he called back before continuing to race up the stairs after Reinus.  
Vivian and Parakarry looked at one another and shrugged, then began to pursue the two Gods up the stairs to the very tip-top of the palace...

* * *

Mario and his friends had scaled the last of many staircases, opened the last of many doors, and taken the last of many lifts, and they now all stood upon the turret of the Palace of the Gods. Upon reaching the top of the lift, they were greeted by a strong wind that immediately reminded them that they were well over 3 miles up in the Heavens.

Upon observation, it appeared that the roof of the palace housed seven pedestals that were evenly placed around the roof's wide perimeter. It was clear that these pedestals were the supposed resting places of the seven Rainbow Relics - once placed in their post, they would hopefully restore The Rainbow of legend and protect the Earth from aliens forever - namely Grodus...

Peach looked off the edge of the palace rooftop and stared in awe. The island of Morteva was but a dot in the vast sea, and it was hard to see through the orange cloud cover, which was quickly darkening into a shade of reddish-purple on account of the rapidly setting sun.  
"Come on guys!" Mario called out. "We should get the Relics placed by sundown!"  
"Are you sure about this, Mario!?" Goombella shouted over the rushing wind. "Remember? The Relics could either bring the world protection or destruction!"  
"We've already come this far!" Mario argued. "We can't just turn back now! Besides, the Shadow King and Queen evidently didn't finish what they started with the Relics... I'm willing to bet they didn't get far enough as to make it at all risky to place the Relics now! The longer we wait, the more time we give them to catch up! We should really do this as fast as we can!"  
As usual, no one saw fit to argue with Mario.  
"Oh, and about that poem," Koops called out, "Do you think we'll ever get a chance to read that final verse!?"  
"I dunno!" Mario replied. "Maybe placing the Relics is the key!"  
This was more than enough reason for them to take the risk of placing the Relics now - they all were desperate to find any methods possible of reading the last verse of The Poem...

Mario took out the seven Rainbow Relics - The Hands of Friendship, the Ears of Trust, the Lips of Love, the Feet of Strength, the Eyes of Virtue, the Nose of Knowledge, and the Heart of Courage - and held them out. He wanted each Relic to be placed by a different person, and all at the same time. Everyone immediately ran up and decided to take their pick.

Bobbery took the Red Hands of Friendship. "I suppose I deserve this one... seeing as I did help a lot in the fight against that totem pole monster!"  
Ms Mowz picked the Orange Ears of Trust. "Maybe a symbol of trust wouldn't fit a thief too well, but what the heck. I've kept some pretty crazy secrets!"  
Flurrie snagged the Yellow Lips of Love. "If there's anyone around here who knows anything about good lovin', it's me!" (Everyone grimaced when they heard this o0)  
Koops picked up the Blue Eyes of Virtue. "I dunno why I want this one... Maybe I'm just virtuous C:"  
Goombella grabbed the Indigo Nose of Knowledge. "I know I don't have a nose," she said, "But I do have knowledge!"

Verdugo grabbed the Violet Heart of Courage. "Come on guys! Ya'll know I'm courageous!"

This left Mario holding only the Green Feet of Strength, and Peach still with nothing. Mario looked up at her and offered the Relic to her.  
"Oh, that's OK," Peach assured him. "You did have to give up your shoes to get that one! You deserve to place it!"  
In truth, Peach really just didn't want to hold a statue that looked like a pair of feet. Mario accepted her offer.  
"OK," Mario said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the Crystal Ball. "Here Peach. You hold onto this..."  
Peach wasn't sure why Mario was offering her the Crystal Ball. The smoky spirit inside really freaked her out, but she agreed to hold onto it while Mario and the others began to examine the pedestals around the perimeter of the rooftop.  
The idea was very straightforward - each pedestal had a marking on them that indicated a specific body part. All they had to do was place their respective Relic upon the pedestal of the same body part. Within a matter of seconds, everyone was in their spot, ready to place their Relics upon the pedestal before them...

This was it. After 1,000 years, the Rainbow Relics were finally about to be put back in their post.  
With this, The Rainbow would return, and the world would be safe from Grodus, the X-nauts, and all other alien beings forever...

And yet, as they all stood there, holding the Relics up, ready to place them down, they couldn't help but feel an aura of impending fear...  
Slowly, the haunting messages of The Poem written by the Shadow Queen and Shadow King came creeping back into their minds. Telling of their wicked plans concerning the Relics themselves, and how they would bring the world's end...  
Could they really?  
Could the Relics really fulfill the wishes of these evil beings?  
Or was it still safe to place them now, thus providing the world protection forever?  
If they were to know the answer to this foreboding question, all they could do was put the Relics down...

Bobbery was fighting a severe inner battle. He held the Relic that would inevitably provide the red band of The Rainbow. If he placed his, it would cause a chain reaction which would result in The Rainbow's revival. But isn't that what he wanted? He wasn't sure...  
Everyone was thinking the same thing - if they placed their Relic first, it would bring everyone else to do so as well, and it worried them...  
And so, for several minutes, they simply stood, holding the Relics above their pedestals, waiting for each other to make the first move...

Suddenly, a faint glimmer was heard, and a green hue illuminated the nearby clouds. Everyone turned around, and saw Mario has placed the Feet of Strength in its place, and it now began to glow a mellow green.  
Feeling a bit less anxious, Bobbery placed the Hands of Friendship, and the result was the same... a soft tinkling and a faint red glow.  
And with that, everyone found the courage to place their Relics down...

Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet...  
The surrounding sky glittered with the seven colors of The Rainbow. It was truly a sight to see...

Mere moments after the final Relic was placed, the glow from each became brighter. The sky itself seemed to darken to make room for the array of glowing light. The Rainbow Relics began to shine their respective colors so brightly that all atop the tower had to shield their eyes. They could only imagine what everyone on the surface of the Earth was thinking, for they too must've seen the heavenly glow in the darkening sky...  
Peach, however, could hardly focus on the dazzling light show surrounding her. The Crystal Ball in her hands had begun to shake like mad. The spirit within was getting awfully excited...

Just then, the lift to the rooftop rose up, and off stepped Reinus, Zanthir, Vivian, and Parakarry. Upon being greeted by the godly Rainbow lights, they gasped in shock, wonder, and in Reinus's case, bliss.  
"Oh my..." Reinus exclaimed. "You guys... You actually did it! You actually found the Rainbow Relics! Now the seven bands of godly light'll fire from each Relic and combine to make The Rainbow once again! Yeehaw!"  
Parakarry was spinning around and gawking at the ever-brightening colors around him. "Oh sweet mother of mercy. Am I dead? Or am I eatin' too much mushroom again?"  
Vivian was stunned by the array of colored light around her. She was also happy that, despite the fact that she wasn't included in the Relic-placing ritual, the Relics had still ended up in their place after all.

Zanthir merely stared ahead at the show with an odd grin on his face. He turned slowly towards Vivian and whispered in her ear. "You know Vivian... All this wouldn't be happening right now if not for you... Thank you."  
Vivian could sense something wrong in his voice. "What do you mean?"  
Zanthir chuckled. "I mean... You're efforts are what made this event possible for us. You've helped us complete what we started 1,000 years ago... Thank you so much."  
But Vivian was still confused. "I still don't understand... What did you start 1,000 years ago?"

Zanthir leaned in close and smiled. "_The end of the world, honey... The end of the world..._"

Vivian threw her hand over her mouth and gasped.  
At that moment, the Rainbow Relics began to shake madly. Even Reinus was surprised by what was happening. From what he knew, the focus of energy on each Relic should've been aiming towards the center of the sky, so they could all fire their bands of light into one another and combine them into The Rainbow. But no...  
The focus of energy on all seven seemed to be aiming the opposite direction... down at the Earth below...

The Rainbow Relics looked as though they were about to fire their bands of light any second, seeing how much they were shaking and flashing brightly. The Crystal Ball in Peach's hands was vibrating crazily as well, as though awaiting the impending doom...  
And yet, Vivian looked in the faces of all their friends, and they looked hopeful. They thought The Rainbow was going to return just as it was meant to. They had no idea that something terrible was about to happen.

And Zanthir...  
He just stared at the lights with that odd grin on his face.  
Vivian couldn't believe it. Zanthir had been an enemy all along...  
And he thought she was on his side!  
Vivian couldn't bear it anymore. She had to say something!

Vivian shoved her way around Zanthir and ran out into the center of the rooftop. "STOP!!" she tried to yell over the rushing wind and loud chiming of the Rainbow Relics. "Mario! Everybody! Take the Rainbow Relics off of their posts! The Rainbow isn't coming back!_ They're gonna cause the end of the world!!_"

Only a few seemed to hear what she had said, including Ms Mowz. "Oh my... I KNEW something wasn't right here! My thief's intuition was telling me!"  
And with that, she leapt at the Ears of Trust and grabbed them, but as she did, a powerful jolt of energy surged up her arms and blew her backwards across the rooftop!  
Zanthir heard Vivian's warning as well, and he seemed utterly shocked, and even angry. "Vivian! What's the matter with you?! You're mother and I worked very hard for this, and so did you! Why do you want it to end now?!"  
Vivian turned to him with her hands balled into fists. "What the hell are you TALKING about?! I don't even know my mother! And I don't even know who YOU really are either, Zanthir! Why do you keep saying stuff like that?!"  
Zanthir's angry face became one of surprise. "You mean... you never knew?"  
But as the Relics glowed more brightly than ever and the Crystal Ball shook more violently, his face reverted back to one of wicked joy. "Well, it doesn't matter anymore..."

A sudden **BOOM!** blew everyone off their feet. The light surrounding the Relics suddenly burst, and at the same time, they all fired their respective band of colored light.  
However, they did not aim at the center of they sky, as what was expected...  
Instead, each band fired off the side of the tower, and spiraled downward towards the Earth... Directly at the island of Morteva.  
The seven rays of color began to spiral together into a single, Rainbow-splashed apocalyptic beam that sped towards the helpless island below at incredible speed. As the spiraling Rainbow cascaded down to the Earth, everyone atop the Palace ran over to the edge of the roof to watch below.  
They all stared in shock.  
Especially Reinus...  
"Oh no..." he whispered. "What has happened? All that godly magic aiming straight for Earth! NOOO!!"

Peach stood close to Mario, but neither could find the right words to say...  
Until Peach finally uttered the question... "What have we done?"

Mere seconds later, the swirling Rainbow of Death made contact with the Earth...  
And a gargantuan explosion of rainbow-colored light erupted from below.  
The blast was so humungous that the ensuing cloud nearly rose as high as the Palace of the Gods itself. The explosion spread outward at an astonishing rate, crossing over the ocean in all directions. It was a massive rainbow-studded ripple that left a wake of smoldering multi-colored flames in its wake.  
It all happened so fast...  
Within a minute, the concussive blast had spread so far over the dark horizon that it could no longer be seen.  
But it was clear that the blast would spare not even the last inch of the Earth's surface...  
All below them were dead. Everything... gone. Only a world of leaping rainbow-colored flames existed below...

The sight was enough to make everyone atop the Palace shed tears. Mario, Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, Verdugo, Bobbery, Ms Mowz, Vivian, Parakarry, Reinus and Zanthir... The only beings left alive on the entire planet. Not even any other Gods had survived, for they had all been on the Earth's surface doing their work when it happened.  
They were the last ones. The only survivors...  
And it was all their fault...  
Mario closed his eyes and shook his head. He couldn't believe it. He'd let The Poem and the hope for Grodus's death get to him so much... and look what he had done. The world was over...

Everyone stood in silence and stared down at the destruction for a long time. No one could say anything. The only sounds were the crackling of the massive, multi-colored flames below and Reinus's heavy crying, for he had just witnessed the world he had created be destroyed right before his very eyes. It was a horrible moment indeed...

Suddenly, the silence was broken by laughter...  
Zanthir's laughter.

Everyone turned to him, but he didn't stop. It started as a delighted chuckle, and soon grew into a hearty laugh, and then into full-blown bellowing. Everyone stared in utter confusion. His laughter at a moment like this made them all burn up inside.  
"Zanthir, what the hell is the matter with you?!" Reinus screamed. "The Earth we've spent so long taking care of is gone! And you're laughing?!"  
Zanthir immediately stopped and looked at Reinus with a cold expression.  
"Don't you call me Zanthir..." he said in a dark tone. "Call me King!"

Suddenly, Zanthir opened his mouth wide and fired a powerful blast of dark matter straight at Reinus's heart. He screamed and held his chest in pain. The blow had thrown him back with so much force he toppled off the edge of the palace roof.  
"Reinus!!" everyone screamed, looking over the edge and watching him fall.  
He fell and fell and fell... Until he was lost in the abyss of the dancing rainbow-colored flames below. They seemed to eat him alive...  
Verdugo pounded his fists on the edge of the rail. "Come on Reinus! You're the King of the Gods! You can't be dead! You CAN'T be!!"  
But Reinus did not reemerge from the flames. He was gone...

Mario gritted his teeth and turned around to face Zanthir, who was looking awfully pleased with himself. "Who the FUCK ARE YOU?!" Mario screamed.  
Zanthir looked down at him. "Who am I, you ask? Mario, you idiot - It's no matter who I am to _you_. But... It does matter who I am to my little girl..."  
Zanthir floated over to Vivian, who was still in total shock of what had just happened. "Vivian honey. Thank you for all that you've done for your mother and I. All this wouldn't be possible if not for you..."  
Vivian put her hands over her ears. "No! No! NO! This isn't my fault! I'm not responsible for any of this! Please, tell me it's not true!!"  
Zanthir appeared quite shocked by this. "But Vivian, honey... You've worked over 1000 years helping your mother and I make this day possible. Why do you suddenly regret it all?"  
Vivian didn't know what to say. She still didn't even know what Zanthir had anything to do with this...  
Zanthir leaned in close. "You DO live to serve your king and queen, don't you?"

Vivian looked up at him with her mouth open in awe. "Oh my God..." she whispered. "You're... My King?"  
Zanthir nodded in such a way that demanded high respect. Vivian promptly dropped down and put her hands on the ground, showing that respect.  
Parakarry gawked. "Zanthir... Y-you're the _Shadow King_? But... No way! It couldn't be!"

"If you're the Shadow King..." Mario asked. "Then... is THAT really the Shadow Queen?!" He pointed towards the black mist within the Crystal Ball that Peach held, which was shifting rapidly and excitedly.  
"Yes..." The Shadow King murmured. "That is my wife... Now only a ghost because of what YOU did to her!"

Mario clutched his hammer. He wasn't sure what to do...  
He was afraid to attack, seeing what The Shadow King had done to Reinus. But he had to do SOMEHING...

"Alright then, Shadow King..." he said angrily, "Tell us everything. Tell us everything about your past! Right now!"  
Zanthir chuckled. "Mario... That's exactly what I was hoping to do! Besides, it's not like that knowledge will help you anymore. The world you know is already gone... and when the rainbow flames finally burn out, it all shall be nothing but charred wastelands... A world which my wife and I can start from scratch. A world for us... Made by us..."  
Mario held his hammer as though ready to attack. "That's great, but I'm not asking about that! I'm asking about who you really are!"  
Zanthir laughed again. "Oh, how rude of me! Please, allow me to formally introduce myself..."

Zanthir then opened his mouth, and a thick black smog began to seep out. It swirled unnaturally, appearing to take shape. The shape of something big.  
And then, when the smoke finally took its shape...  
Mario and co found themselves staring at the true form of the Shadow King himself.  
He looked very much like the Shadow Queen that they all remembered. However, he was a fair amount larger, and he sported a larger crown, and he had a mustache much like Mario's. His appearance certainly complemented his title.  
Everyone stared in horror at the sight of the Shadow King before them, as well as the body of Zanthir, which toppled over and fell to the floor as though his very soul had just been ripped out. Zanthir wasn't really the Shadow King... He had just been possessed the whole time?

The Shadow King crossed his arms. "Now then, I believe you asked about my past. Is that correct Mario...?"  
Mario was still in such a state of shock that all he could do was nod his head.  
"Right, of course. Now, let me begin... I was born in the Mushroomian Empire nearly 1,025 years ago. My earliest memories were just walking through a dark forest, trying to find a way out, which suggests to me that that's where I was born. I had no parents to speak of. It was like I was just dropped on this Earth for no reason. When I reached the heart of the empire, I saw the ruler Grunt T standing before a long line of people. I found he was lining up criminals that were to get Atomic Wedgies. The strangest thing, however, was that with each person that suffered from their wedgie, it seemed to give me strength inside... Like their torture gave me pleasure. It was so strange... And yet, it was also at that moment that I realized, for some unspeakable reason, that it was _because_ of the torture these people suffered that I was even born. I was no human child - I was an ephemeral product of the pain and despair of this empire, and it made me feel terrible... However, over the next five years, I learned I had some incredible powers. I could shift from my normal human state to one made completely of shadows - the shape you all see before you right now. In this state, I could slip in and out of the shadow realm, possess other people, and even use my darkling magic to kill. It was with these gifts that, at 5 years of age, I killed Grunt T as my way of getting back at him for causing me to be born, which resulted in the collapse of the Mushroomian Empire itself..."

"Dear me," Bobbery said. "You were once HUMAN?!"  
"I was born a human," The Shadow King replied. "But whether I was a human and a shadow being within the same body, or a human would could become a shadow being at will, I never knew..."

"So... You regret ever being born?" Ms Mowz asked.  
"No," the Shadow King replied gruffly. "Regretting would imply that I MADE the choice to be born, and I now wish I hadn't. Me, I HAD no choice! All the pain and suffering in the land just summed up together to create me! I hate the world for this! I hate the world for creating me! And I didn't even have a choice!"  
"Well, ya know, no one can choose when they're born. It just happens..." Verdugo said.  
"You just don't understand..." The Shadow King moaned. "Especially when you're an immortal being such as I... But in any case, please allow me to continue."

The Shadow King cleared his throat and went on. "At about the age of 20, I was but a drifter. The Mushroom Kingdom that stands today was still in its infancy, just beginning to take the place of the Mushroomian Empire which I had destroyed. One day, I used my powers to sneak onto a ferry that was bound for some land beyond the borders of the land I was born in. I took this ferry to a seaside town called Marina Del Rey, which in the native language meant 'King's Harbor'. It was a rough little burg - gossip told of an ongoing war between the syndicate and the gang of thieves. I promptly killed anyone who tried to steal my coins, but it seemed death was such a common thing in this place that no one even noticed. It made me feel awful - was the entire world really like this? Full of such vile, heartless people? It almost considered committing suicide... until I met her."

"The Shadow Queen...?" asked Peach. She was still holding the Crystal Ball containing her spirit, which was strangely calm.  
'Yes..." the Shadow King muttered, as though lost in memories. "I was walking past an alleyway when I heard a strange, yet familiar, sound. It was the sound that was heard when I emerged from the Shadow Realm. I remember thinking, 'Could there be another in this world like me?' I walked down the alley and saw her sitting there, curled up behind a pile of garbage, her face was one of utter sorrow..."  
"Aww... What did she look like?" Goombella asked, who was awfully curious about what the Shadow Queen looked like as a human.  
"Hmm..." The Shadow King. "Maybe I could demonstrate... Ah, you!" He pointed at Flurrie.  
Flurrie gasped. "Oh my! You mean me?"  
"Yes you! I need a female to demonstrate what she looked like! I won't take 'no' for an answer!"  
"Oh... alright then..." Flurrie said, reluctantly approaching him.  
"Very good," he said. "Now..."  
And with that, he waved his arm around and puff of thick smoke engulfed Flurrie! When the smoke cleared, there was a beautiful woman in a blue satin gown standing there. Her eyes were a deep shade of purple and her hair was long, silky and black. "That's more or less what she looked like," the Shadow King said. "Lovely, isn't she? I even added the gown for some extra loveliness!"  
"Wow... she WAS pretty..." Goombella said.  
"Seriously," said Koops. "Hehe... Lookin' good there, Flurrie!"  
The Shadow King waved his arm around again, and Flurrie changed back to normal, though she was still wearing the gown. She looked down at it. "Oh my, this gown makes me look 100 lbs. thinner! May I keep it?"  
"Hell no," said the Shadow King. "But you can wear it for now. Just watch the panties. I put those on you, too."  
"Oh, dear me..." Flurrie moaned.

"Anyway..." continued the Shadow King, "When I first approached her, she appeared frightened of me. However, I quickly showed her that I was like her, and when I did, something just blossomed between us. We both were strangers in the world, knowing a secret pain that only us two understood. I swear to you, it was love at first sight..."  
He looked at the Crystal Ball before going on. "We spent many days together, just expressing our pain and how glad we were to have found each other. According to her story, she too seemed to be born out of nowhere, seeming to exist solely as a product of the anger and ill will that existed in her town. When she first told me this, I immediately knew what she should do - I urged her to destroy the town. To use her powers to completely annihilate its people and take over as punishment for giving birth to her. She was reluctant at first, but she trusted me. Within the next day, she released all her rage upon that town and caused it to sink into the depths of the Earth. She even used her magic to create seven Crystal Stars that she used to exert her dark influence upon the surrounding lands, and to create 3 pet dragons to do her bidding with. I must say - I was impressed. In fact, seeing her do such evil acts made me love her more..."

"...You were alive while The Rainbow was still up in the sky, right?" Mario asked.  
"Yes..." was the reply. "In fact, I was just about to get to that part. You see, my wife and I would always look up at The Rainbow, and for whatever reason, it simply filled us with disgust. People said The Rainbow represented all the happiness in the world, but she and I knew better. The world had enough horrible things in it to give birth to beings such as us... We even began to ponder destroying the world completely, and perhaps even building a new world in its place... A world suited for us, made by us, and made for us... The Rainbow, we knew, contained the power of the Gods, so if we were to make our wish for world destruction come true, seizing the source of The Rainbow and using it against the world was certainly the best way. After all, if the power of the Gods could create so much life, it could certainly take it away as well..."

"So..." reasoned Parakarry. "Ya came here lookin' for The Rainbow Relics, is that it?"  
"Precisely," The Shadow King said. "We ferried our way here to the land of Morteva and made a living here for 5 years while we conjured our plan. When it was ready, we used our powers to appear atop the Palace of the Gods and steal the Rainbow Relics from their posts. It was then we used our magic to reshape them in such a way that, when returned to their posts, their beams of godly energy would not fire up into the sky, but rather straight down at the Earth..."

"Hey, where do I fit in this whole story?" Vivian asked. "I'm your servant, for goodness sake! Beldam and Marylin too! When did you take us on as your servants?"  
The Shadow King bent down and stroked Vivian's hair lovingly. "You mean you never knew? Beldam never told you...?"  
"Told me WHAT?!" Vivian demanded.  
The Shadow King closed his eyes. "Vivian, honey... Remember I said your mother and I worked hard to make this day possible? Think about it..."

Vivian didn't even have to think long about it. "Oh my God..." she whispered. "You... you really are my father."  
The Shadow King nodded. "Yes Vivian. And the Shadow Queen was your mother."  
Vivian shook her head. ""But... I only knew you as my king and queen all these years. That's all Beldam ever said you were to me... Why wasn't I ever told?"  
"My little Vivian..." he said soothingly. "Please... allow me to continue my tale and you'll know..."  
Vivian simply nodded and listened, breathing heavily as though she still couldn't quite believe what she'd just heard...

"While my wife and I lived in Morteva those 5 years, we gave birth to 3 daughters. We were surprised that they weren't born half-human, half-shadow beings like us, and rather as complete shadow beings. However, we loved them all the same. In fact, my wife was pregnant with our first daughter, Beldam, before we even moved to Morteva, so a mere 2 days after we did, she was born. Later came Marylin, the strong but silent daughter. And lastly came you, Vivian..."  
The Shadow King looked at Vivian sadly as he continued. "We were desperately hoping to get our ultimate plan done before you were born, because we hoped that you could be born into our new world. Therefore, even when my wife was pregnant with you, we put it into action. We stole the Relics and reshaped them successfully, and we may have been able to put the Relics back right then and finish our work if not the Four Heroes interfered..."

"The Four Heroes?" asked Peach.  
"Yes, the Four Heroes you stupid wench! They found out our plans and tried to stop us. They truly were a force to be reckoned with, so we had no choice but to hide the Relics across the lands (as well as drawing a map to their locations) and resume our plans later. With the Four Heroes still on our trail, we were forced to then split up and return to our original homelands. I took Beldam and Marylin with me back to the newly established Mushroom Kingdom. My wife, who was still pregnant with you Vivian, returned to Marina Del Rey. Splitting up was hard to do, but it was for the best. We promised to meet back at Morteva soon and resume our plans. Unfortunately, it that was the last time I would ever saw my wife in the flesh..."

The Shadow King looked at the Crystal Ball sorrowfully. "Beldam, Marylin and I hid within the basically deserted Mushroom Castle storeroom (where I left the map) for several days until I figured it was safe to go speak with my wife about resuming our plans. I slipped into the shadows with my two daughters and reemerged within Marina Del Rey, but by the time we got there, she was already gone... Sealed behind The Thousand-Year Door. The Four Heroes had followed her home and defeated her human form, leaving her in the shadow state, but thankfully not before she gave birth to Vivian. In this state however, my wife was weakened horribly, and the Four Heroes used her Crystal Stars against her to seal her within her own palace. By the time we arrived, we were too late..."

The Shadow Queen looked at Vivian again. "However, we did find little Vivian... all alone outside the Thousand-Year Door, crying to be let in. We knew because she knew her mommy was beyond there. It was then I took you and raised you for several more years on my own in the Mushroom Kingdom, until I thought all 3 of you were old enough to be given jobs to help with The Shadow Queen's revival. Beldam to find a pure maiden, Marylin to find an alien race, and Vivian... to curse the Four Heroes and to search for the Crystal Stars. While they did their work, I returned to Morteva and possessed Zanthir's godly body to await the day my wife was freed and the Earth to be overthrown. And that day... is today..."

The Shadow King stared at Mario coldly. "I curse you Mario. Once the Thousand-Year Door was open, I became so hopeful... but you went and destroyed her last physical form, leaving her to wander as a pathetic spirit only capable of possession... Before I could even greet her!"  
But the Shadow King then smiled. "And yet I thank you, for making this day possible. Thank you. My wife and I shall live in happiness from here until the end of time..."

"Alright, alright..." Mario said. "Interesting story... But before we kick your ass, there's still one thing I need to know..."  
The Shadow King crossed his arms. "If you honestly think you CAN kick my ass... Anyway, what would you like to know?"  
"The Poem..." Mario said. "Where did it come from? And is there another verse?"

The Shadow King nodded. "Ah, yes. My wife actually wrote that poem during our time in Morteva. She wrote it all, in fact, except for that last verse, which was by me. We wrote it on the same piece of paper on which we drew the map leading to the Rainbow Relics. I remember I left it in the Mushroom Kingdom castle storeroom, and over 1,000 years, I'd suspect the ink from The Poem and Map would've run dry by now... I guess my wife remembered everything and showed you all little by little, did she not?"  
"Yeah, she did actually..." Peach said.  
"Hoho! She's clever isn't she? Using The Poem's dark messages to keep you intrigued in our little mystery so much that it actually lead you to find the Relics for us! Genius! I always knew she was!"

"Is there another verse?" Mario asked, who was gripping his hammer quite tightly now. "Theoretically, there should've been one more, but that bitch of a wife of yours never showed it to us."  
"Are you asking if there's another poem verse after the one I wrote? No. That was the last one. No more was written after that. Hoho, did my wife try and make you believe there was one more? Oh, the cleverness! I must say, I'm happy to have her as my queen to rule this new world with..."  
"How can she help you rule the world when she's just a spirit that can only survive in a Crystal Ball?" asked Vivian.  
The Shadow King turned to her. "It's ironic that you ask that, honey. I'm afraid I've yet to tell you your last job to make this plan complete..."  
"What job?" Vivian asked. "I already cursed the Four Heroes and got Mario to find the Crystal Stars... What more is there for me to do?"

The Shadow King lowered his head. "I'm terribly sorry Vivian. Both your mother and I are. However, I'm going to be direct - being a shadow as you are, your body has no heart. You are empty... A perfect new vessel for your mother to inhabit so she can help me begin this new world..."  
Vivian gasped. "What?! The Shadow Queen is- Umm, my mom is... She's gonna possess me?"  
"I'm afraid so, honey. She will create a heart for you and use your body to have a physical form once again..."  
Vivian shook her head. "But... But what will happen to me?"  
"Your soul will be lost. You will cease to be. I'm sorry Vivian. Truly, we both are. But I know how much you wanted this day to happen, so the sacrifice can't be too bad, can it?"

Vivian clenched her fists and they flared up. "My king! No... dad! I may have wanted this to happen at one time, but not anymore!"  
The Shadow King appeared surprised. "You... You don't wish for the world to be as we shadows would want it?"  
"Not anymore..." she said. "I did at one time... But that was before I met Mario. When I did... I learned what it really meant to be happy. It's not power or release of rage that makes you joyful - it's friends. People who truly care about you, and don't use you for their dark designs... Just like you did to me. You, mom, Beldam, Marylin... All of you! Mario and his friends made me feel like I was loved and cared about... And I was so happy... And that's why I actually HELPED Mario beat the Shadow Queen when The Thousand-Year Door opened!"

When the Shadow King heard this, he stared down at her like any disappointed father. But being the Shadow King, the look was about 100x more effective. "Vivian... How could you? You aided in the defeat of your own mother?!"  
"Yes... and it was my choice! My choice because Mario and his friends have been more of a family to me than you and the rest EVER have!!"

The Shadow King was silent for a long time, until he finally shook his head. "You killed your mother's physical body... She deserves to have yours, you ungrateful little maggot! Beldam! Marylin! Get over here and take Vivian away! Allow my wife to possess her body for good!!"  
Beldam and Marylin suddenly appeared out of the shadows nearby. "Yes my King!" Beldam exclaimed, grabbing Vivian by one arm.  
"GUH!" cried Marylin, grabbing Vivian's other arm. Both sisters proceeded to drag her across the palace roof. Along the way, Beldam shoved Peach to the ground and picked up the Crystal Ball, which contained the Shadow Queen's spirit, eagerly awaiting the moment when it would gain its new body...  
"Beldam! Marylin! Let go of me! Please!" Vivian cried as they dragged her away from everyone. "Mario! HELP!"  
That was the last they heard before Beldam and Marylin pulled her into the shadows along with the Crystal Ball...

"Vivian!!" Mario cried. He began to make a dash for her when the Shadow King fired a bolt of black matter in his path. It exploded in Mario's face, causing him to stumble back.  
"The final survivors..." The Shadow King groaned. "I must thank you for placing the Relics for my wife and I, but to make our plans for a perfect world come about, I must kill you all!"  
The Shadow King reared up his huge arm and swung it horizontally, sending a wave of black matter across the rooftop. Most everyone managed to duck beneath it, except for Koops, who got blasted in the face. Whatever that matter was, it sure hurt like hell when it made contact!

Verdugo started chucking Mini Eggs like crazy, but the Shadow King used his magic to make them turn around in mid-air and aim for Goombella instead, thereby making her smaller than she already was. The Shadow King had fun trying to squish the frantically running Goombella with his big arms.  
Ms Mowz managed to sneak up behind the Shadow King and proceeded to whack him on the head with his own crown. "Ow! OW! OWWW!!" he screamed, scratching at his head and trying to get the annoying mouse out of his hair. He finally managed to grab her and throw her off, causing her to slide several feet. She finally stopped sliding just inches short of falling off the palace roof. She looked down - a 3 mile fall into a chasm of leaping rainbow flames. Not a good way to go...

Parakarry and Bobbery were doing a good job of keeping the Shadow King distracted while Mario clobbered away with his Hammer. Parakarry flew around while Bobbery rained his Bomb Squad bombs upon the King's head. Mario's Hammer was doing noticeable damage to the King, and it gave them all hope that they may gain the upper hand...  
That is, until the Shadow King threw a cloud of dark matter square at Parakarry, causing he and Bobbery to crash-land and knock down Peach, Koops and Verdugo like bowling pins. This left Mario on his own, whom the Shadow King easily swiped away with his massive hands.  
"You pathetic beings..." the Shadow King growled. "You're just like the rest of the world that gave birth to me! You all must pay!"

Flurrie, who was still wearing the gown and undergarments, scoffed at him. "Us?! Oh dear me, I believe it's YOU who's gonna be doing the payback, buster!" She reared up and flew through the air, ready to deliver a Body Slam of epic proportions!  
Goombella, who was still tiny, tried to call to her. "Flurrie! DON'T!!" Unfortunately, her tiny voice was too soft to be heard...  
Flurrie sailed at the Shadow King, ready to slam him with all her stage presence, but the Shadow King merely flicked a finger, and sent a blast of darkness right at her. It intercepted her in midair and caused her to blow backwards - right off the edge of the palace!  
"FLURRIE!!" everyone cried, running over to the edge.

Flurrie was falling... The dark matter blast had impeded her ability to fly. She would soon fall into the rainbow flames that had engulfed the rest of the world. She would die just like everyone else...  
"Oh well..." she told herself as she fell, looking down at her gown, "At least I'll die beautiful..."  
_RRRRRRRIIIIPPPPPP!!_

A sudden pain shot through her body from her under region. She was no longer falling... She was hanging by the panties! "WHAT IN THE NAME OF-!!" she cried. "OOOOGGGGHHHH!! THE EXCRUCIATING PAIN!!"  
"Oh, sorry lady. You seen Peach around here?"  
Through her tearing eyes, Flurrie looked up and saw the one who had caught her to be... Bowser!? Indeed, it WAS Bowser! Flying in his Koopa Klown Car! He had survived the Rainbow explosion? And Grodus, Crump and Doopliss as well! How strangely funny!  
Of course, seeing as she was getting her frickin' Atomic Wedgie right then, she couldn't really think about that. "BOWSER!" Flurrie demanded. "I'm weakened and I can't fly! Now pull me up THIS INSTANT!!"  
Bowser looked at his claw. He saw her panties had been snagged onto his sharp fingernails when he'd reached out and tried to catch her. "Heh, hey guys! Check it out! I caught her by her panties!"  
Crump and Doopliss both looked and laughed. "HAHA! 'TOMIC WEDGIE!!" They yelled out together, laughing.

Flurrie was still in agonizing pain. "PULL ME UP!!"  
"OK, geez. Relax you crazy wench..." Bowser said, carelessly yanking her up and flinging her into the Koopa Klown Car.  
"Now take us to the top of that palace!" Flurrie demanded.  
"We know," Grodus said. "We were heading there in the first place. It seems the Shadow King and Queen have fulfilled their plans to destroy the world. I plan to take revenge upon that queen as well as Vivian..."  
"And I wanna kidnap Peach!" Bowser cried.  
Flurrie rolled her eyes. "Oh whatever, I'll worry about your threats later. Right now, the Shadow King and the safety of Mario and the others is all that matters..."

"Hey Flurrie," Doopliss whispered to her in private. "Is Vivian safe?"  
Flurrie frowned. "Doopliss dear, the Shadow Queen plans to invade her body and create a wicked heart within her!"

Doopliss suddenly became very serious. "Bowser! Get us up there NOW!"  
"Settle down, Doopliss!" ordered Grodus, " I know you're in love, but come on! Try and think rationally!"  
Doopliss cupped his hands together and stared up at the rapidly-approaching palace rooftop. "Please Vivian..." he said to himself. "Hang in there... I'll save you. I promise...!"

Bowser hastily flew the Koopa Klown Car to the Palace's rooftop to see the Shadow King laying waste to the heroes surrounding him.

"That bastard..." Grodus muttered to himself. "Thinks he's a better villain than ME, eh? We'll see about that! And where's the Shadow Queen? I got a score to settle with her, too!"

"PEACH!!" Bowser yelled when her saw her on the rooftop. He was so excited he accidentally made the Klown Car to crash on the roof, causing everyone to spill out. When they did, everyone already on the roof stopped what they were doing and just stared.

"Bowser?" Mario asked. "And Grodus? And Crump? And Doopliss? And Flurrie? All in the same vehicle? WTF?!"  
Grodus quickly bounded over to Mario. "Mario!" he ordered, "Forget our past disputes for a mere moment and listen to me. I know of some attack methods that we can use to bring down the Shadow King."  
Mario looked over at Verdugo and Koops, who were taking some severe beatings from the King. Mario knew they couldn't go on doing what they were doing. He had no choice but to trust Grodus at the moment. "OK, what are your ideas?"  
Grodus turned towards everyone else. "EVERBODY!! Huddle over here immediately!"  
All of Mario's friends and villains took notice right away. The Shadow King did as well.  
"Not you, Mr Shadow King. You stay there."  
The Shadow King looked disappointed. "Aww..."

The Shadow King watched the group huddle for several seconds. Were they discussing battle plans with which they might beat him? Ha! Not even all 12 of them together could hope to win! And even if they did succeed in destroying his physical body, his spirit would still live on... And there was still nothing they could do to restore the world. It was already destroyed! Nothing they could do could ever change that...  
"And... BREAK!!" Was the last thing he heard Grodus yell from the huddle.

Bowser retreated into his shell while Mario reluctantly climbed into Flurrie's huge mouth. Mario then gave the signal to fire. Crump quickly did his signature Crump-a-Bomb and pounded on Flurrie, causing her to spit Mario out straight at Bowser. As he flew, he used his velocity to deliver a huge Hammer whack to Bowser's shell. Bowser blew out fire as he slid, and his shell was sent spinning into the unsuspecting Shadow King's body, also burning him badly. The attack had been a success! They began to prepare for another go.

At the same time, Peach gave Koops' shell a heavy kick, which caused it to slide right past the Shadow King. Bobbery, who was aboard the shell, blew up as he passed, stunning the King. And before he knew it, it happened again! Goombella was on the other side, and had kicked it back. They were attacking him good, leaving him virtually no opportunity to fight back!

Grodus stood off to the side with Verdugo and gave him a quick lesson on Mortal Kombat fighting techniques. After a short while, Verdugo jumped up the to King and shouted "MORTAL KOMBAT!!" The battle was pretty much one-sided - The Shadow King knew little about fighting with energy bars! It certainly seemed Grodus's battle strategies were giving Mario and his friends the upper hand...

Doopliss, on the other hand was off on his own. He had been frantic with worry since he'd heard that the Shadow Queen was to possess Vivian's body. "Vivian!!" he called. "Vivian, where are you?!"  
Assuming she was under the shadows, Doopliss did the only thing he could think of - he took Vivian's shape and used her powers to slip into the shadow realm below. Once he did, he looked ahead and saw her... Held down by her two sisters, while the Crystal Ball began to seep its black mist, which aimed towards her mouth. The Shadow Queen was attempting to enter her body...

"NOOOOO!!"" Doopliss screamed, fighting his way through the shadowy blackness towards the sisters. Beldam and Marylin were shocked to see another Vivian running at them...  
But Vivian... She understood right away. "Help me! Please!!"  
Doopliss ran forwards and shoved the Crystal Ball out of the way, causing the spirit leaking out to be thrown back as well. He then grabbed Vivian and pulled her to the surface, leaving Beldam and Marylin down in the shadows...

Upon breaching the surface, Doopliss promptly turned back into himself and pulled Vivian out of the way of the battle against the Shadow King. Vivian stared at the fight before her, and she was glad to see that it looked like Mario was winning (even though for some reason Grodus, Bowser and Crump were there...). And then she looked at Doopliss, who was still holding onto her.  
"Doopliss..." she sighed. "You saved me..."  
"Yeah..." Doopliss replied. "But you're still not safe. They'll be back to-!"

A sudden sock to the back of the head caused him to topple over in a daze. Marylin and Beldam had risen up not a second before, Beldam holding the Crystal Ball in her hands.  
"Doopliss!!" Vivian cried, kneeling down beside him.  
"That idiot Doopliss nearly ruined the whole ritual, Vivian!" Beldam shouted.  
Vivian looked up at her pleadingly. "Beldam, please... You and Marylin lack hearts just like me! Why can't you let the Shadow Queen possess one of you instead? You both want this more than me!"  
Beldam shook her head. "Sorry Vivian. It was mother's choice. Your body was the one she wanted. She claims she could magnify your fire powers to horrendous amounts..."  
Vivian just shook her head. She didn't know what to say...

"Marylin! Hold her down!"  
"GUH!!"  
Marylin rushed forward and pinned Vivian to the ground. Beldam stepped up and held the Crystal Ball in front of Vivian's face.  
"Remember when you first got those boarding passes sent to you, and I tried to make it seem like I didn't want you to go? Just a bluff, little sister! Just a bluff... to make this day possible..."  
With that, the dark mist began to seep from the ball once again. The contorted face of the Shadow Queen herself formed in front of Vivian's face and howled wickedly. Vivian screamed and screamed, hoping someone could save her.  
Doopliss, who was still struggling to stand after that last blow, would not make it in time...

Vivian's screams suddenly became a deep groan and died away as the Shadow Queen's soul forced its way into her throat and into her bosom.

By the time Doopliss came to, it was too late.  
Beldam and Marylin simply stared at Vivian's limp body. The Crystal Ball in Beldam's hand was empty and clear.

"What the hell just happened?!" he yelled.  
By this point, all fighting atop the palace roof had stopped. The Shadow King, as weakened as he was, was the first to speak. "It's happening..." he said with a small laugh. "My wife... She's now creating a dark heart within Vivian's empty chest... And when that heart is complete... My wife will have a body once again! Good-bye Vivian... You're mother and I are... truly sorry..."

When Doopliss heard this, he completely broke down. "NOOOOOO!!" he cried, forcefully shoving Beldam and Marylin out of the way. He knelt down and cradled Vivian's lifeless body in his arms, pressing his face close to hers. Already, his tears were dropping down onto her face.  
"Vivian, please..." he whispered to her. "Don't let her do this to you... You have to fight it. Please!"

Everyone on the rooftop couldn't bring themselves to make any moves when such a heart-wrenching scene lay before them. Doopliss holding his love in his arms... Mario and most of his friends, even though they had no idea of Doopliss's affection for Vivian, were still deeply saddened by this. Even the Shadow King seemed surprisingly soft..."I'm sorry, but Vivian can't fight it. She has no heart with which to fight..."  
"THAT'S NOT TRUE!!" Doopliss shouted. "How can she feel pain with no heart? How is she able to feel regret and shame with no heart? How can she have friends...? How can she cry...?"

Already, Vivian's hair was beginning to turn from soft pink to wavy purple and sparkly. The possession process was happening, and there was no way Doopliss could stop it...

Doopliss may have wanted to make a move right there. Maybe some way to take revenge upon the Shadow King and Vivian's sisters for doing what they'd just done... Or maybe some feeble effort to force the Shadow Queen's soul from within Vivian's body...  
But Doopliss knew that it was hopeless. All he could bring himself to do was hold Vivian close to him for as long as possible, for he knew that in a matter of minutes, Vivian would not be Vivian anymore...

He held her close and cried. All the while, he continued to whisper into her ear...  
"I love you Vivian. Please, fight it... I refuse to believe that you don't have a heart. You have to..."  
The severely weakened Shadow King merely shook his head. "You weak little imbecile!" he said coldly. "It doesn't matter how much you care about her. She's a heartless Shadow Siren that wishes to aid her family in destroying and recreating the world."  
He then turned to Mario. "She may have thought she was your friend, Mario... But she was just confused. Deep down, she's glad to offer this sacrifice to her mother..."  
Mario shook his head. "That's not true... It... It just can't be."  
"I'm afraid so," The Shadow King replied. "She is the direct seed of two beings born out of pure darkness and despair. No heart of any sort could exist within her..."

"Hey!" Goombella shouted. "Are you trying to say that Vivian's truly evil just because of who her parents are?!"  
The Shadow King was somewhat surprised by her outburst. "Well, I-"  
"Well honestly!" Koops said. "How well could you possibly know her?! According to your story, you never even tried to get to know her! You just gave her a job and then abandoned her to possess Zanthir's body, where you just hid for 1,000 years!"  
Flurrie chimed in as well. "Vivian may have acted like the end of the world was important to her when you knew her, but she was just a little girl! She's grown up so much since then, and you didn't even witness it happen? How could you possibly know how she thinks now?"  
"Yeah!" Verdugo yelled. "You're just too much of a jackass to accept the truth that Vivian's really on the good side! She even told you herself that she beat up the Shadow Queen - her own mom - just because of how she really felt about her family! Geez, could you be any more STUPID?!"  
"Vivian's the sweetest, most fragile girl I've ever had the pleasure of meeting,' Bobbery announced. "If she doesn't have a heart, then neither must I, nor anyone else who's speaking upon this rooftop right now!"  
Ms Mowz nodded in agreement to what everyone said. "Indeed - some King you are... A king is expected to keep the order of entire kingdoms. YOU couldn't even offer so much as a hello to your own family! You're failure as a King is also your failure as a father!"  
Peach decided to give her two cents as well. "How can you be so blind? Vivian only became so caring because of how you and the rest of her family treated her! Your disappointment in her is your own fault! Can you not see that? Or are you just a genuine idiot?!"  
Parakarry couldn't think of anything to say. "Umm... yeah! What they all said!"  
Bowser, Crump and Grodus all looked at one another. They couldn't think of anything to shout that hadn't already been said, so they simply nodded.

The Shadow King was so shocked by these remarks that they even seemed to weaken him. Could what they all said really be true? Was Vivian really a kind, caring, gentle soul? And all because of the treatment she got from her family? But how? She was born from the two most evil beings ever conceived... How could it be possible?

But even so, he still looked over at Vivian's body, which was starting to look more like his wife every second... And it was from this he determined that what they all said COULDN'T be true... After all, if Vivian had as big a heart as they all said she did, why could she not fight back against The Shadow Queen? If the Shadow Queen could truly possess her, then it meant Vivian truly did lack a heart, just as he'd said...

He turned towards Mario and smiled wickedly. "I'm sorry, but even if what you said WAS true... Have you not realized? The world's already ended, and nothing you do can change that!"  
Mario gripped his Hammer and narrowed his eyes angrily...  
But in the silence, he heard the rainbow flames crackling from far below on the Earth's surface... And realized the Shadow King was right.  
The world was already lost. No amount of fighting could change that fact...  
And Vivian... Whether she got possessed or not (though it looked to be so), how would they live on? In a world full of darkness and shadow? It didn't seem worth it.  
Mario lowered his Hammer and sighed deeply.  
The Shadow King merely laughed. "Hmph... I was hoping you would understand soon enough. Now I merely have to wait for my bride to be reborn, and our rebuilding of the world shall commence!"

A sudden cry from Doopliss made everyone turn towards him. "Hey!" he cried. "S-Something's happening!"  
Everyone looked to see what he meant, and indeed, something WAS happening. Vivian's hair... It seemed to be fading back from purple and sparkly to bright pink...  
The shadowy mist that had enveloped her body... disappearing...

Vivian's suddenly jerked and let out a gasp, and a deep purple smog was coughed up from her throat.  
The Shadow Queen!  
The... Shadow Queen?!  
But... If the Shadow Queen left Vivian's body, that could only mean...  
"NO!!" The Shadow King shouted. "It can't be! It's... IMPOSSIBLE!!"

Doopliss snatched the Crystal Ball from Beldam's hand and held it out. The Shadow Queen's spirit quickly retreated back into it.  
Doopliss then looked up at the King. "Fraid so, Slick! Vivian's got a heart, and your poor bitch of a wife had no room to make her own! Sorry!"

The Shadow King stood in silence for a long time, a look of utter disbelief and ferocity on his face.  
He then completely lost it.  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!! Our plans... RUINED! All because of YOU!!"  
Everyone looked around. "Who are you referring to?" they all asked in one way or another.  
The Shadow King clenched his teeth. "Uh, A-ALL OF YOOOUUU!!" His hands began to flare up with dark energy. "I swear to you... I will KILL YOU ALL!!"  
The entire palace began to shake as the Shadow King screamed and stored up all of his rage, ready to release it upon everyone. Rage was the fuel for the Shadow beings' powers, it seemed, so whatever The Shadow King planned to do, it couldn't be good...

Mario ordered a huddle, excluding Vivian, whom he told Doopliss to leave on the ground. "Everyone, we have to do something!" he said urgently. "Does anyone have any ideas?!"  
Grodus was quick to talk. "It may be a risky idea, but I recently installed TEC with a primitive time machine that can revert the state of an entire planet approximately 10 minutes back in time, once every couple hundred years it seems. TEC never permitted me to use it, but..."  
"Yo!" Bowser exclaimed. "10 minutes... That should take us back to before the world even ended! We might be able to stop it all from ever happening!"  
"Maybe," Crump thought. "But Sir Grodus, if we go back in time, will we still remember we actually went back in time?"  
"I don't know," Grodus said. "As I said, TEC never allowed me to field test the feature. Even so, it may be our only chance... The problem is, there's no way I can ever convince him to do anything for me..."  
"Then let me talk to him!" Peach announced. "He'd definitely listen to me! He loves me, remember?"  
"OK," said Mario. "But we need to make sure this is worth the risk. Should we use this time machine, or no? Part of me really thinks we might be able to get through to the Shadow King if we just talk to him, but I dunno. What are we gonna do guys? We're running low on options and time!"

Mario thought about the issue for as long as he could afford to, then came to his decision. "OK! Peach, Grodus and I will stay here. Everyone else, go see if you can talk to the Shadow King and see if maybe you can convince him to... I dunno... stop."  
"Stop?" asked Parakarry.  
"Yeah. Even if you don't get him to settle down, you'll at least hopefully distract him long enough so that Peach gets enough time to talk TEC into using the time device. Everyone clear?"  
"Yeah!" they all shouted. With that, everyone but Mario, Peach and Grodus ran to confront the Shadow King in all his fury.

"Yo Shadow King!" Koops shouted. "It's not worth it to release all your rage on us!"  
"Why... NOT?!' The King answered back angrily, charging up more and more dark matter in the palms of his hands by the second.  
"Well," Verdugo yelled. "Shouldn't you be happy you at least managed to destroy the world? You know, the piss-poor world full of heartless bastards that created you, all dead? Isn't that worth anything?"  
"Not without my wife it's not!"  
"But your wife's still in that Crystal Ball! Isn't that good enough?" Flurrie asked.  
The Shadow King merely screamed and continued to store his fury, which would be unleashed any second.  
"This is gonna be harder than I thought..." Ms Mowz said.

Meanwhile, Mario whipped out his Mailbox SP and handed it to Peach. "I recently installed Instant Messenger on this thing!" he shouted over the howling wind. "You can talk to him using that!"  
Mario quickly got the IM process all set up, then handed the SP to Peach.  
"OK!" Peach said, taking the SP. "Grodus, what's TEC's screen name?"  
"TEC-XX, with a dash after the C!" Grodus answered.  
Peach entered the name and her message. The conversation went as follows:

--

_teh1337mario: tec?  
TEC-XX: Hello. Who is this?  
teh1337mario: its me peach!  
TEC-XX: Peach? Could it be??  
teh1337mario: yes tec its me!  
TEC-XX: ...Peach, why is your screen name teh1337mario?  
teh1337mario: i dunno this is marios sn not mine  
TEC-XX: Oh, I see... But still, I'm so happy to hear from you again! I thought maybe you'd died in that humungous explosion that I saw engulf Earth not too long ago. I'm glad to know you're safe...  
teh1337mario: yeah thx but we need help  
TEC-XX: Oh my, what's wrong Peach? How can I help you when you're so far away? And why's your grammar so horrid?  
teh1337mario: i dont have time for good gramar listen we need ur time machine  
TEC-XX: My time machine? How do you know about that?  
teh1337mario: not important we need it to revert the world back to normal  
TEC-XX: Oh, why yes! Of course! The time device could put the world in a state before it blew up!  
teh1337mario: exactly can u do it?  
TEC-XX: Yes, but there's a problem - the time device will cause the entire planet to go back in time approximately 10 minutes, including yourself. You will have no memory of the fact that you went back in time, so how can you save the world?  
teh1337mario: will u remember?_

_TEC-XX: The time device's target radius is the Earth, not the moon. So yes. I will remember.  
teh1337mario: IM me right after u use the time thing and tell us not to place the rainbow relics cuz the worlds gonna end if we do  
TEC-XX: Not to place the "Rainbow Relics", you say?  
teh1337mario: yeah and also that zanthir is the shadow king  
TEC-XX: Um, OK... But Peach, you won't remember anything... How will I know you'll believe me?  
teh1337mario: ill believe you tec trust me  
TEC-XX: ...I do trust you, Princess Peach. I always have.  
teh1337mario: thx tec please do it asap!  
TEC-XX: Good luck, Princess Peach. The time device is ready..._

--

At that very moment, the Shadow King screamed and let out every ounce of his fury in the form of a massive cloud of black matter, which threatened to engulf the entire palace rooftop and kill all those who stood there. This was the end...

_ZZZZZZZZAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPP!!_

... . ... . ..

.. . . . ... ... . . . .


	11. Finale

**FINALE**

**- **_**Let There Be Light**_** -**

...

... ... ... . . .

...  
... . ... . ..

...Mario held all seven Rainbow Relics out and urged everyone to take one so all of them could be placed at the same time. Everyone ran up and decided to take their pick.

The idea was very straightforward - each pedestal had a marking on them that indicated a specific body part. All they had to do was place their respective Relic upon the pedestal of the same body part. Within a matter of seconds, everyone was in their spot, ready to place their Relics upon the pedestal before them...  
This was it. After 1,000 years, the Rainbow Relics were finally about to be put back in their post.  
With this, The Rainbow would return, and the world would be safe from Grodus, the X-nauts, and all other alien beings forever...

And yet, as they all stood there, holding the Relics up, ready to place them down, they couldn't help but feel an aura of impending fear...  
Slowly, the haunting messages of the dark poem written by the Shadow Queen and King came creeping back into their minds. Telling of their wicked plans concerning the Relics themselves, and how they would bring the world's end...  
Could they really?  
Could the Relics really fulfill the wishes of these evil beings?  
Or was it still safe to place them now, thus providing the world protection forever?  
If they were to know the answer to this foreboding question, all they could to do was put the Relics down...

_DOO-DOO-DOO DO DOO-DOO-DOO DO DOOOOO DO!  
_

Mario's Mailbox SP suddenly went off in his pocket. "What the-!" he said. "Someone IM'ing me now? Oh come on!"  
He quickly took his SP out. "Hang on guys. We'll place the Relics in a sec. Lemme just tell this person that now's REALLY not a good time..."  
He flipped the lid and read the message...

--

_TEC-XX: Mario! Don't place the Rainbow Relics! They'll cause the world to end!_

_--  
_  
Mario read the message to himself. Could the message be true? But who had sent it? He didn't recognize the screen name...  
"Hey!" he called out. "Does anyone know someone with the screen name TEC-XX?"  
Peach suddenly lightened up. "TEC-XX? That was TEC's full name! TEC just IM'ed you? What's he saying?"  
"TEC? Really?" asked Mario. "Well, he claims that if we place The Rainbow Relics, they really will cause the world's end. But how would TEC know?"

Mario typed in a reply...

--

_teh1337mario: TEC?  
TEC-XX: Yes it's me! This is Mario, correct?_

_teh1337mario: Yeah TEC, it's me, Mario. What were you saying?_

_TEC-XX: Don't place the Rainbow Relics! They will end the world!_

_teh1337mario: How do you know that?  
TEC-XX: It's not important how I know! But you must trust me! You do trust me, right Mario? Princess Peach, you trust me, do you not?_

--

Peach looked at the Crystal Ball in her hands. "Tell him yes, Mario. I know TEC... He wouldn't be telling us if he wasn't completely serious..."  
Everyone else on the rooftop slowly backed away from the pedestals and held their Relics close. After hearing TEC's message, they were sure of it too - the Rainbow Relics would cause the world's end, and they shouldn't place the Relics after all.  
Despite how much Mario wanted to know more about The Poem and how much he hoped that The Rainbow might come back to foil Grodus's plans, he found himself writing a reply to TEC's message.

--

_teh1337mario: Of course, TEC. We trust you..._

_TEC-XX: Thanks goodness. Now then, there's something else I had to tell you - Zanthir is the Shadow King._

--_**  
**_  
Mario read the message and gawked. "What the-?!"  
"What does TEC have to say to us now?" Bobbery asked.  
Mario turned towards them all. "I really have NO clue how TEC got any of this information, but... he claims that Zanthir is the Shadow King!"  
Goombella, Koops, and Verdugo all gasped the loudest, for they were the only ones of the group who had personally met Zanthir.  
"What?!" Goombella asked. "But Zanthir was really nice to us! How could HE be the-?!"

The conversation was interrupted when the lift to the palace roof rose up, revealing Vivian, Parakarry, Reinus, and... Zanthir!  
All of them looked at Zanthir suspiciously. Indeed, they seemed to see an evil glare in his eyes...  
"Well, are you going to place the Rainbow Relics or what?" Zanthir asked.

Oh man, it was true! He wanted them to place the Relics so that the world could end! He really WAS the Shadow King, just like TEC said!  
But what could they do about it? His guard was obviously down at the moment. Could they perhaps take this moment to their advantage?

Mario thought Vivian was the only one with the potential to truly stand up to the Shadow King, seeing as they were both Shadow beings. He beckoned for her to come over, even though she still seemed a little sad about having revealed the truth that she had used Mario to get the Crystal Stars.  
Vivian reluctantly approached him. "Yes, Mario?" she asked.  
Mario pulled her close and put his lips by her ear. He needed to tell her the truth... but what could he tell her to do about it?

"Vivian..." Mario whispered into her ear. "Believe me when I say this... Zanthir is the Shadow King."  
Vivian gasped and turned to Zanthir in shock, but Mario held her firmly and kept her close.  
"...The Shadow King's the one that's had you do his labor for 1,000 years, right?"  
Vivian nodded slowly.  
"...And he's also the one who reshaped the Rainbow Relics so they'd cause the world's end... Am I right?"  
Vivian nodded again.  
"...Kill him..."

Vivian moaned and shook her head slowly. "No..." she whispered back. "He's my King. I can't fight back, despite how much I might want to..."  
"Don't worry. We're all here, and as long as we don't place the Relics, his guard will be down."  
"But he's so much more powerful than me..."  
"I know... If anything, at least try and prove to Reinus that Zanthir is the Shadow King. If Reinus knows, he can definitely help you kill him - Reinus is the King of the Gods, remember?"  
"Yeah..." Vivian said softly, sounding a bit more convinced. "But Mario... If the Shadow King dies, we'll never know about the final verse of that poem... Isn't that one of the main reasons you considered placing the Relics?"  
Mario sighed. "...That doesn't matter anymore. Just go and talk to your King. And do something about him, OK?"  
Vivian was still a little shaky, but she finally nodded. "OK..."

Vivian turned around and looked at Zanthir with a stern expression, then began to float towards him slowly. Zanthir looked down at her as she approached with an odd grin. "Oh, Vivian! Do you not want to join your friends in the placing of the Rainbow Relics? You really should - I'm getting impatient!"  
But Vivian didn't turn around. "So it's true..."  
Zanthir looked down at her with suspicion. "What? What's true?"  
"That you're the Shadow King," she replied. "My King..." She then kneeled down and put her hands on the ground as a sign of respect.

Zanthir gave a slight smile and looked like he was about to say something in reply, but then looked out of the corner of his eye, and saw Reinus eyeing the scene before him suspiciously. Zanthir suddenly became very nervous.  
"V-Vivian," Zanthir reassured. "I don't know what you're talking about! Shadow King? Ha! What nonsense! For we all know I am Zanthir, the Earth God; Protector of the Rocks and Soil! I-isn't that right, Reinus?"  
Reinus looked at Vivian, who was still kneeling. "Yeah... Vivian, what are you saying? Are you accusing our Earth God of being on the side of evil?"

Vivian shook her head. "Oh, no no no... I'm accusing my King of INHABITING the body of your Earth God!"  
Zanthir was becoming more nervous by the second. "Reinus, she's clearly trying to trick us somehow!"  
"Trick you?" Vivian asked innocently. "Oh goodness no... I'm not trying to trick you, My King. I just wish to serve you! So what would you like me to do now? Place the Rainbow Relics in their posts so they can bring the world's end? Just like you and our Queen wanted?"  
Vivian then looked at the Crystal Ball and waved. "Hello My Queen! Isn't this a happy day? The world's gonna end!" She then turned back to Zanthir and asked, "Would it make both of you happy to have me do the honors?"  
Zanthir was shaking like crazy now. "S-Silence Vivian! Silence I say!"

Vivian's sweet innocent face suddenly became an angry frown. "Well fuck you. I'm on Mario's side."  
Zanthir's face suddenly flared with anger. "How DARE you speak to your King that way?!"

Everyone upon the roof gasped, and a long silence ensued. Zanthir bit his lip as though he'd just revealed a deadly secret.  
And in fact, he had.  
Reinus now looked at Zanthir not with suspicion, but with utter disbelief and fury. "It's true... I can't believe this, it's TRUE!! Zanthir... You're really...?"  
Zanthir narrowed his eyes. "Don't you call me Zanthir..." he said. "Call me King!!"

And with that, Zanthir whipped around and blew a blast of dark matter out of his mouth straight at Reinus's heart.  
But Reinus was totally ready for it. He held out his palm and absorbed all the blackness into it, creating a swirling black ball that then turned bright blue.  
And then swung his arm around, and chucked the blue orb right back into Zanthir's mouth!

Zanthir seemed to explode on the inside, dizzying him and causing him to fall to the ground with a big thud. His big stony head lay there foe several seconds.  
Until the black mist began to seep out of his mouth...  
The mist began to take form, and shifted into the devilish shape of the Shadow King himself.  
He then looked at Vivian. "You..." he muttered angrily. "You think you've won, but it's NOT over! The Relics will be placed, and your Queen shall have your body, and the world shall be mine!!"

Vivian heard what he said, but she didn't exactly listen. She wore a wicked smirk on her face as she began to store up humungous amounts of fire in her hands...  
"These are MY fire powers..." she told herself. "If my queen could magnify them as much as she could, just imagine what I could do myself!"  
Before the Shadow King could even make a move, she thrust her palms forward and a massive wave of fire spread across the rooftop, completely engulfing the Shadow King in flames! Everyone stared in awe at the fiery rage before them. It was massive! And Vivian had done this without the aid of the Shadow Queen's possession! Crazy!

When Vivian finally stopped for a breath and the flames disappeared, there lay the shadow form of the King, slowly burning away. As he did, black smog oozed up from his body. His physical form was dying...  
Well, his shadow form was dying, anyway. Once the flames died out, he was a shadow being no more... But rather a human man. His features were sharp and handsome, yet very dark. He stood up and looked at his body in anger. Then looked at Vivian.  
"My Shadow Form..." he said. "Gone... All because of YOU!!"  
Vivian had been so weakened by the previous attack she'd just done that she couldn't fight back. The Shadow King walked up to her on his very human legs and stared down at her menacingly. "And now... I bestow upon you the very punishment that gave birth to me..."  
Goombella's eyes suddenly shot open. "Oh no... VIVIAN! Don't let him touch you! He's gonna...!"

The Shadow King snapped his fingers loudly, interrupting Goombella, and Vivian suddenly felt a strange sensation in her lower region. She looked down and saw she was wearing underpants...  
"No..." she cried. "No, please!"  
The Shadow King merely laughed wickedly as he walked around Vivian's backside, held her head down with one hand...  
And used the other to yank forcefully on Vivian's underwear.

Vivian couldn't even scream, and she began to cry tears of pain in mere seconds. "H-help...!!" was all she managed to choke.  
Goombella began to cry too. "OOOH, TOMIC WEDGIE!!" she yelled out, while everyone tried to run to her aid. But the Shadow King merely stamped his foot, and everyone was sent flying back. This got him so riled up he pulled ever harder on Vivian's underwear. It was inevitable - he was going to 'Tomic Wedgie Vivian to death.  
"I'm sorry honey..." he said quietly.  
Vivian couldn't even reply. The pain multiplied by the second...

Suddenly, the sound of a helicopter blade filled the air, and everyone was surprised to see The Koopa Klown Car suddenly rise up and land on the palace roof. Grodus, Crump, Bowser and Doopliss were aboard.  
"Alright!" Grodus said. "Where's the Shadow King and Queen? I have a score to settle with both of them!"  
"Yeah, me too!" Crump exclaimed. "BUH HUH HUH!"  
"And where's PEACH!?" Bowser yelled. "I STILL haven't kidnaped her this entire story!"  
Doopliss then peeked over the edge of the Klown Car. "Vivian?" he asked.  
He then saw her... suffering a terrible Atomic Wedgie from some weird guy!  
Seeing Vivian in pain filled Doopliss to the brim with fury. "Hey YOU!!" he yelled. "Let Vivian go!!"

Doopliss leapt out of the Koopa Klown Car and sped towards the evil man. When the man saw Doopliss approaching, he stamped his foot, but his spell to blow Doopliss away didn't seem to work! He tried again, but Doopliss still advanced, screaming his head off!  
Doopliss then jumped in the air and took the shape of a stone Thwomp, which crashed hard into the man's body, causing him to topple over and release Vivian. Vivian gasped in relief and fell to the ground. Doopliss reverted back to his true form, ran over to her, and helped her up. She looked at him through her still-teary eyes.  
"Doopliss... Y-you saved me..."  
"Yeah," he replied. "But you're still not safe! He'll be back to-"

The Shadow King had gotten up and was charging at Doopliss like a madman, screaming in rage! Doopliss stood his ground, ready to take any blow he had to for the woman he loved...

_SMACK!!_

A heavy blow to the Shadow King's face knocked him backwards and onto the ground! He tried to sit up, but a foot came down on his chest and held him down.  
Mario's foot.  
Mario held the Hammer close to the Shadow King's face. "We could've fought like men..." Mario said. "We could've taken turns... But I see no reason to give you that mercy anymore. Now die!"  
And with that, Mario held his Hammer high...  
And with all his strength, brought it down onto the Shadow King's human face.

The death was gruesome, but not for long. Seconds after Mario stepped off the body, it began to dissipate into a faint black mist...  
Everyone understood - both his physical forms were destroyed, and he was now but an immortal spirit that floated the earth. Just like his wife in the Crystal Ball...

When the body was gone and the dark cloud was at its fullest, Reinus didn't even give it a chance. He held out his hand, trapping the Shadow King's spirit in his magic grip, and thrust it into the Crystal Ball with the Shadow Queen's spirit.  
Then, just for good measure, he waved his hands around and cast a final spell upon the Crystal Ball. His spell caused it to become not a clear crystal ball, but a ball shaded light blue that sparkled with heavenly light. The dark spirits within seemed to try and break free, but they could not.

Reinus then walked over and picked up the Crystal Ball...  
And held it high over his head.

Mario and all his friends cheered. Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, Verdugo, Bobbery, Ms Mowz, Parakarry, Vivian and Doopliss... all let out their happiness at that moment. Grodus cheered too, for the Shadow King and Queen were now sealed away forever. In fact, for that brief moment, he seemed to completely forget that he was but a head with no body, and that killing Vivian had been one of his goals.  
Bowser was confused. He still wanted to capture Peach, but now wasn't the time, so he cheered too.  
Crump cheered just because everyone else was doin' it.

Reinus stared at the Crystal Ball intently, and watched the evil spirits frolic within. "The battle is won..." he announced. "I just hope these two live happily together in there..."  
Reinus then looked down upon Mario and his friends. "However, the spell I've cast upon this Crystal Ball will not last forever. The spell will break and the spirits will be free again in 1,000 years!"  
Mario and everyone gasped, then groaned in severe disappointment.  
But Reinus suddenly smiled and laughed out loud. "HAHA! Naw, I'm just kiddin'! It'll last forever!"  
This made everyone sigh in relief, and even laugh along with him.

"Although..." Reinus continued. "We probably SHOULD do something with this Crystal Ball... Banish it? Keep it as a trophy? I dunno! What do you guys think?" He stared at the Crystal Ball in his hand, with the two dark spirits shifting around within. He then proceeded to place it in his pocket. "Well, I think I have an idea of what I'd like to do with this, but that's for later."  
He then looked down upon Mario and his friends, his expression serious. "You didn't place the Rainbow Relics..." he said. "You knew the Shadow King hoped to destroy the world with them... Do you by chance know what would've happened if you had set them?"  
Verdugo shook his head. "Nope. According to our sources though, The Shadow King and Queen stole the Relics from their posts 1,000 years ago and reshaped them somehow so that when returned to their post, they would end the world... somehow."

"Reshaped, you say?" Reinus asked. He walked up to Bobbery and asked to look at the Red Hands of Friendship, which Bobbery handed to him. He then examined it closely. It didn't take long for him to realize something wasn't right.  
"My goodness..." he said. "They ARE shaped differently than I remember!"  
"How so?" Ms Mowz wondered.  
"Well," Reinus explained, "It seems much of the crystal texture has been shaved off, so it's smaller than it should be... And look at this. If you look closely, you can see that the ring finger on both hands is wider than the thumbs!"  
"So... What exactly would that mean, sir?" asked Bobbery.  
Reinus did a quick sweep of all the Relics that they held, then looked at everyone. "If I'm not mistaking, then instead of firing their rays of color into the center of the sky to create The Rainbow, the Relics would've fired their rays over the side of the palace roof and straight down towards the Earth!"  
"Would that have been a bad thing?" asked Koops.  
"Yes..." Reinus shuddered at the thought. "Very bad..."

Mario looked down at the Green Feet of Strength in his hands. Upon closer inspection, the pinky toe was larger than it should've been. "Is there any way we can change the Relics back to normal so The Rainbow can return?"  
Reinus thought for a second, and then smiled. "Yes..." he said. "But these Relics were made from all our powers. If we're to change them back, we'll need everyone..."  
Without another word, Reinus whipped out his cell phone. He pushed a button and spoke into it.  
"Attention all Gods and Goddesses of Earth. This is Reinus speaking. Urgent meeting atop The Palace of the Gods. Drop all your business and get to the palace rooftop as quickly as possible. The Rainbow's coming back!"  
That was all he needed to say. He closed his phone, put it back in his pocket, and waited.  
"So... What happens now?" Parakarry asked.  
"Just wait..." Reinus replied.

Not a minute later, a magical flotilla of Gods and Goddesses began to arrive at the scene. They all rose up from the cloud cover over the Earth and made their way towards the palace rooftop. There were so many... Even a few Mario and his friends recognized. Yama, God of Lightning, Loki and Fyord, Gods of Fire and Ice, Marinu, God of Water... It amazed them all how many Gods there were! There were so many they couldn't fit anymore on the roof, so they had to float out alongside its perimeter.  
"Yo Reinus!" Yama called out. "Did these guys really get ALL seven of the Rainbow Relics?"

"Indeed," Reinus said. "And they shall be placed momentarily. However, something must be done first - I'm sure you all remember the day The Rainbow disappeared 1,000 years ago. You see, the evil beings who stole them hoped to reshape them so that they would end up destroying the world, and it seems they got far enough in their plans as to actually reshape them... However, don't worry! If we combine our powers, we'll be able to revert the Relics back to their original shapes! C'mon everyone! It'll be just like that day we created the Rainbow Relics in the first place when the Earth began!"  
There was a small celebration among the Gods and Goddesses at that moment. However, a Plant Goddess suddenly called out, "But Reinus, what about Zanthir? Is he OK?"

Reinus looked over at the fallen body of Zanthir. Ever since the Shadow King had been forced out of his body, he hadn't woken up. Reinus walked over to his side and bent down.  
"Zanthir...?"  
No reply.  
"Zanthir, can you hear me?"  
Still no reply.  
Reinus spoke softly. "Zanthir, listen to me... I know you've suffered from an inferiority complex your entire life, but you must understand... You let your heart become so weak, and that's what allowed evil to find a way in... So please, be strong. Don't allow others to walk upon you. You have more power than you know. You're no mere dummy for your fellow Gods to abuse - you are a God yourself! You are Zanthir, The Earth God; Protector of the Rocks and Soil!"  
Reinus's stirring words seemed to make Zanthir move slightly. By the time the speech was done, his eyes were open ever so slightly.  
"Reinus?" he asked. "What the heck... I feel like I've been asleep for like, 1000 years..."  
Reinus smiled. "And what a gift awaits your awakening! Come Zanthir! Join your fellow Gods as we restore the Rainbow Relics and bring the light of the Rainbow back into the sky!"  
The Gods all cheered again, and Zanthir smiled.

"Very well everyone..." Reinus announced. "Let's do this thang!"  
With that, he raised his arms high over his head, and the seven Rainbow Relics lifted up from the hands of their beholders and settled in midair above their respective pedestals.  
Reinus did another spell-like maneuver, all seven began to glow brightly, illuminating the night sky with the seven colors of The Rainbow...  
All the Gods and Goddesses raised their arms and closed their eyes, transferring their own respective power to the Relics in order to return them to their former shape...  
After several seconds, a bright light suddenly flashed, and all the Gods returned to peace, except Reinus, who was still keeping the Relics aloft. The reshaping process was done, and now all that had to be done was to place the Relics down...

Reinus opened his eyes and looked down upon Mario and co. "Would you like to do the honors?" he asked.  
Mario grinned and walked over to Peach. While standing beside her, he looked at his seven companions; Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, Verdugo, Vivian, Bobbery, and Ms Mowz. "You guys go ahead," he said with a smile.  
"Really?" Verdugo asked.  
"Definitely. This wouldn't have been possible without you guys..."

And so, each of Mario's friends grabbed the Rainbow Relic they had once been holding, except for Vivian, who took Mario's place as the holder of the Feet of Strength. They all got ready.Once they were all in place, Reinus called out. "OK everyone! Count down with me!"  
Mario, Peach, Parakarry, Doopliss, Grodus, Crump, Bowser, and all the Gods and Goddesses joined in the countdown...

_"3..."  
_

_"2..."__  
_

_**"1..."**_

And right when they would've said "0", Mario's friends placed the Rainbow Relics down.

Within seconds, they began to glow brightly.  
Next, they began to shake. A small quiver at first, but eventually strong rumbling...  
And just when no one could take the suspense anymore...  
The seven Rainbow Relics all fired their powerful beams of color directly at the center of the sky! At the point of impact, they combined into a single fantastic beam of colors that shot across the sky, parting the dark clouds and filling the night sky with a wake of godly colors.

_THE RAINBOW WAS BACK!_

The Gods and Goddesses cheered now louder than ever! For the first time in 1,000 years - the Earth was safe from outside aliens once again!  
"Now we won't have to worry about anymore X-naut invasions or anything like that anymore!" Reinus exclaimed.  
Crump and Grodus then looked at one another. "Say," Crump said. "Boss, aren't WE X-nauts?"  
All the celebration stopped immediately, and all the Gods and Goddesses suddenly gasped and looked down upon the two alien strangers standing upon their rooftop.  
"Ogh..." Bowser moaned, slowly backing away from them.

"What's all this nonsense about 'No more X-nauts'," Grodus demanded.  
"Well," explained Reinus. "In case you didn't know, the purpose of The Rainbow was, err... IS to protect the world's atmosphere from outside aliens, which would include X-nauts... Which would include you."  
Grodus sputtered. "B-But... Crump and I are already within Earth's atmosphere! And we have to get back to the moon so that our plan to allow Bowser to kidnap Peach so TEC can help revive our base so we can take over the world can take effect!"  
"Ooohh... Sorry," Reinus said. "But The Rainbow's magic kills any aliens on contact, so... I guess... I'm afraid you're stuck here!"  
Grodus gasped. "Stuck HERE?! On Earth?!"  
"Cool!" Crump exclaimed.  
Mario then looked over at Bowser. "I guess THAT means there'll be no princess-kidnaping for you after all, Bowser!"  
Bowser crossed his arms and growled. "Well THIS sucks..."

However, Goombella didn't seem to pay much attention to this scene. She was looking through the crowd of Gods, looking for one in particular...  
And she gasped when she saw that one God almost right behind her.  
With wide eyes, she approached him. He was a large man-like being with a mess of scraggly hair, dark skin, and wore a big pair of white boxers. Goombella stopped at his feet and looked up at him.  
"Uber?" she asked.

The boxer-wearing guy looked down at her and smiled. "Yup, Uber's m' name. How are you, Goombella?"  
Goombella was taken aback. "Y-you know my name?"  
Uber laughed and looked at Mario's entire group. "Oh, of course! I know all of you guys! I tell ya, ya'll have been one heck of a project for me! I did manage to get all of you, isn't that right?"  
Flurrie raised her hand. "Um, I do believe you forgot about me..."  
Uber raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? How's your under region feel?"  
Flurrie winced. "Ugh... surprisingly painful..."

Uber laughed again. "Ha! Knew it... Even the power of time travel can't negate the effects of the 'Tomic Wedgie..." he said to himself.

"Well what about me?" Goombella asked. "Answer me this, Uber - Why do I have the power to see...?"  
Uber looked down at her. "Well, I'm afraid I don't know Goombella. It's just a little something we call destiny. It's something neither you nor I have any control over. I'm sorry, but that's the best answer I can give."  
"But why Atomic Wedgies?" Goombella asked. "Why not something cool? Like lottery numbers?"  
"I dunno," Uber replied with a laugh. "Maybe you're just weird!"  
"Hey! That's mean!" she complained.

"Oh, alright. I'm sorry. Listen, just hear me out - no matter how big, or small, or weird, or stupid your gift may be, it's still a gift, and you should use it to its fullest!"  
Goombella smiled. "Thanks. That was nice."  
"Yup. But you still owe me!"  
With that, Uber whipped around Goombella and gave her an Atomic Wedgie that left her in tears! Everyone else laughed, though.

The sight of The Rainbow filled Doopliss with such bliss, and seeing Vivian shine in its heavenly light made him love her ever more. He approached her, and when she looked at him, he smiled.  
"I..." Doopliss said. He wasn't quite sure how to express his thoughts.  
"You what?" Vivian asked sweetly.  
"I love you," Doopliss finally managed to blurt out.

Vivian smiled for a second, then looked down sadly.  
"What's wrong?" Doopliss asked.  
Vivian looked up at him. "Doopliss...?"  
"Yes Vivian?"  
"I'm sorry..."  
Doopliss was confused. "Sorry? For what?"  
Vivian looked down in shame again. "I... I can't."  
"You can't what? What's wrong?"  
Vivian looked so apologetic. "I... I can never love you..."

The audience of Gods and Goddesses was shocked, but Doopliss was the most surprised of all. These words really struck him hard. "W-why not?" he stammered.  
Vivian shook her head. "You're a nice guy Doopliss. Really, you are. But... every time I look at you, I just remember that horrible day... When you stole Mario's body and tried to kill us... Ugh, I know that was a long time ago, but... I can't control my feelings Doopliss. You've done so many horrible things that... I'm sorry, but they can never allow me to love you..."

She pulled her hat down over her face. "I'm so sorry..."

A tear rolled down Doopliss's cheek. He couldn't bear to look Vivian in the face. Her words just hurt him too much...  
And they hurt because they were true. He understood Vivian's reasons completely. There was no way he could argue back, and that's what made her words so painful to hear...  
But Doopliss finally looked back up at her.  
"I understand Vivian. But still... Thank you. I could thank you for the rest of my life... For giving me something to love..."  
Vivian looked up at him, and gave him a faint smile. "Don't get me wrong Doopliss... I DO love you. As a person, and as a friend..."  
Hearing that made Doopliss surprisingly happy inside. "A... friend?"  
"Yes Doopliss..." Vivian said softly. "A friend."

Doopliss's W-shaped mouth curved up into a big smile, as did Vivian's lips.  
Vivian then lunged forward and gave Doopliss a big hug. He was startled at first, but then realized the total 1337ness of this moment and hugged her back. The audience cheered loudly once again!

After silence ensued again, Reinus took out the Crystal Ball and gazed into it. "Well..." he said. "Hopefully with The Rainbow back, this sort of thing may never happen again..."  
Mario shook his head. "No Reinus... The Rainbow could've never prevented the birth of The Shadow King and Queen..."  
"What was that?" asked Reinus, surprised.  
"Don't you see?" continued Mario. "The threat of the Shadow Beings didn't come from outside... It came from_ within_. The evil found in the hearts of the people living on this very Earth... THAT'S what gave birth to the Shadow King and Queen. And if it happened once, and it could definitely happen again."

Reinus looked down in shame. "You're right Mario... I should be the one taking care of this planet, and look what I've allowed to be born. I'm a failure as a King..."  
But he then shook his head. "No... I WAS a failure as a King. From now on, my duties as Creator and Caretaker of this Earth are now top priority. I shall see to it that nothing like this ever happens again!" He looked down at Mario. "Mario... You and your friends have done so much for us... Is there anything we can do for you?"  
Mario looked around, and nodded. "Yeah... We just wanna go home now."  
Reinus smiled and nodded. "Very well. Again, thank you all so very much. May we meet again..."

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

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.

_**- 2 Months Later -**__  
_

Mario sat on a beach chair on Morteva's sandy western shore. He sipped his Mortevan Mai Tai and looked around happily. Throwing a party in commemoration of The Rainbow's return had been a great idea. Along with all of his partners from the adventure, he'd also invited some old relatives and friends along, like Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, Daisy, and others. Some newer friends came as well, such as Flavio, Pennington, Punio, Grubba... and even some friends from right there in Morteva, like Myagi (who was dueling with Grubba o.0) and even Tuka (OCHIKO!! XD).  
Some villains came by too, including Grodus, Crump and Bowser. Others included General Guy, the Crystal King, and Fawful, who annoyed the crap out of everyone with his stupid speech.  
Reinus and Zanthir, along with Loki, Fyord and Yama, had stopped down to play a game of stick bowling on the beach. Reinus used the Crystal Ball as his 'Lucky Ball', mainly cuz he liked watching the evil spirits of the Shadow King and Queen tumble around inside as he rolled it C:. Zanthir was happy too, for it was the first time any of the Gods had ever treated him with genuine respect.  
Twink and all of Mario's past partners managed to drop by as well. However, they'd all since built their own identities as heroes and could afford little more than a quick, but heartfelt hello and congrats to Mario. The only exception was Parakarry, who stayed for the duration of the party.

Mario had gotten some questions about why he'd waited 2 months to throw this party, but he actually had a very good reason. In fact, the reason was walking up to him right now...  
"Mario!" exclaimed Koops, who was holding a sleeping baby Koopa girl in his arms. Koopie Koo was walking with him. "Hi Mario! How are you?"  
"I'm great!" Mario replied, lowering his sunglasses. "I can see you two are happy! How's the little girl?"  
Koops and Koopie Koo looked at their child lovingly. "She's beautiful, isn't she?" Koopie Koo asked.

"Yeah..." Koops said. "Her name's Koopessa. Koopie Koo's idea. I kinda wanted to name her Angel, but I can't argue with the mom, know what I mean?"  
Koops then leaned in close and whispered to Mario. "But don't worry - the birth certificate isn't finalized yet!"  
Koopie Koo heard though, and gave Koops a playful punch.  
"Hey honey?" Koops asked his wife. "Can you take Koopessa for a little bit? I kinda wanna spend some time with Mario."  
"Sure. See you in a little bit!" Koopie Koo said, taking the baby in her arms and walking down the beach.

Shortly after Koops sat down next to Mario, Verdugo came running up. "Hey Mario, guess what!"  
"What?" Mario asked.  
"My parents just called me! My REAL parents!!"  
Mario spit up his drink and Koops gawked. "Seriously?!"  
"Yeah!" Verdugo exclaimed. "They kept saying how worried they'd been when my egg got stolen from the island, and that they'd spent the last 8 months trying to track me down. And now they have, and they want me to go back home!"  
"Oh really?" Mario said. "When?"  
"After the party..." Verdugo said sadly. "I'm gonna take a ferry to Precious Island after the party's over, which I guess is my real home..."  
"Aw, that's too bad, man," Koops said. "We'll miss you."  
"Yeah, but you know what I told 'em?" Verdugo asked.  
"What?" Mario asked.  
"Well, they said they regretted never giving me a name, but then I told 'em that Mario already gave me a name - _Verdugo_, baby!"  
Mario laughed and patted Verdugo on the head. "Heheh... It was pretty fun being your adopted father, Verdugo. I hope your real parents love you as much as I do."  
Verdugo looked like he was about to cry right then, but he fought it. "Yeah, I hope so too!"

Flurrie and Ms Mowz walked up not a minute later. "Say Mario," Flurrie asked. "Do you know where Peach is?"  
"Yeah," Mario replied. "She actually used the teleporter in Rogueport to go to the moon so she could see TEC. Heh... man, I love the girl, but I'll be damned if I lose her to some computer. Haha!"  
Ms Mowz giggled. "Oh Mario, you needn't worry about that. Peach is just grateful to him, that's all. She still loves you all the same, and she always will!"  
Verdugo raised an eyebrow. "Geez, you two are weird. It's like you can read people's minds or something..."  
"Seriously," said Koops. "You two are freaky together. _'Flurrie and Ms Mowz...' _sounds like a superchick duo to me."  
Flurrie and Ms Mowz looked at each other and laughed, then sat down with the rest of them.

Goombella happened to walk by, and Mario called out to her. "Hey Goombella! Am I due for a 'Tomic Wedgie anytime soon?!"  
Goombella gave him an annoyed looked and stuck her tongue out. "Be quiet Mario! That's NOT cool!"  
"Well dearie, I was about to ask the same thing!" Flurrie joked.  
Goombella was about to make a sassy comeback, but she just smiled and ran over to sit with the rest of them. "Don't worry - I promise to let you guys know if I ever see anything again. Besides, you have to embrace your gifts, ya know?"

Bobbery came tumbling out of a bush nearby. "What in blazes?!" he shouted. Everyone who was sitting looked over at him.  
"What's the matter, Bobbery?" Ms Mowz wondered.  
"I... I just spoke with the God of Death!" Bobbery said. "I asked about Scarlette..."  
"Oh, what'd he say?" Goombella asked.  
"He said she's so proud of me that I helped return The Rainbow to the sky, and that I'm no longer a drunken bum that blames myself for her death... Frankly, she's happy, and she hopes to see me _very_ soon."

"You still seem like a drunken bum to me..." Koops said.  
"And wait... When she says she wants to see you _very soon_," Mario began, "Doesn't that mean..."  
"Oh, never you mind!" Bobbery said happily, sitting down by Flurrie. "Let's just enjoy the party and life while we're still alive, eh?"

At that moment, Grodus and Crump walked past. Grodus sported a new body, which looked somewhat like a 2-foot-tall metal stick figure, but at least it seemed to work. Mario stopped him. "Hey Grodus. How's life?"  
Grodus looked at Mario, but didn't appear angry or hateful. "Oh, it's OK, I suppose. Crump did a surprisingly decent job building me a new body..."  
"Yup!" Crump exclaimed. "It's great, isn't it?"  
"Yeah, it is!" Mario said. "But uh... Grodus, are you sure you're alright, considering... You know..."  
Grodus looked up at the Rainbow in the sky, then sighed deeply. "It's OK. I suppose I can get used to life on Earth. I can never get back to the moon to take over the world now anyway, so... you know, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. However, it still bothers me that TEC allows Peach to use the teleporter and not me..."  
"Well, TEC loves her!" Mario said. "Love's a great thing, Grodus. Makes people more willing to do nice things for you. Maybe if you learn a little about love yourself, TEC just might see fit to let you visit the moon again one day..."  
Grodus looked up at The Rainbow again with a forlorn look. "Perhaps. But until then... Crump! Come with me to get a Magmalt Shake! I gotta say the food on Earth is pretty damn good."  
"Yessir!" shouted Crump, running after his master.

"Say," Mario then asked. "Anyone know where Bowser is?"  
"Oh, right over there old boy!" Bobbery said, motioning to the other side of the beach.  
There was Bowser, being chased by Kammy Koopa, who was firing magic bolts at him from her wand.  
"Your Wretchedness!" she shouted angrily. "How could you unfurl a princess-kidnaping plan without me?! You're terrible!!"  
"Hey!" Bowser protested. "C'mon Kammy! Didn't you have a big enough role in that one KholdstareV story, The Verdict?! Why you gotta be so- OW OW OWWW!!"

* * *

Vivian and Doopliss sat on the far corner of the beach, and were playfully arguing as usual.  
"Well she once cut my arm with a knife and poured battery acid on it!"  
"Ouch... But that's nothing compared to the time she threw me in the oven on medium heat for 10 minutes!"  
"Oh yeah? Well she once-!"  
The argument stopped when Vivian saw a familiar, handsome face walking by. She gasped when she realized...  
"Atlan??"

The guy looked down at her funny. "Huh? Do I know you?"  
"Oh, well I..." Vivian looked at Doopliss, then up at the real Atlan. It was an awkward moment indeed.  
"Hey," Atlan said, "I know I'm a pretty famous model and all, but that doesn't mean you chicks can just come up and talk to me like I'm your girlfriend... Especially not freaky shadow chicks like you!" And with that, he rolled his eyes and continued walking.  
When he was far away enough, Doopliss turned to Vivian. "Heh... Told you he was a jerk!"

Vivian just laughed, but then turned around and happened to see Mario, sitting with all of her friends up on the beach.  
"Hey Doopliss...?" she asked, "Can you wait here just a sec? I need to go talk to Mario..."  
Doopliss laughed and nudged her. "Ohoho! I see... You're gonna confess your LOVE for Slick, mirite? MIRITE??"  
Vivian giggled and shoved him off. "Oh, be quiet! I'll be right back, I promise!"

"OK," Doopliss replied with a smile, showing her off.

Vivian hurriedly floated up to where Mario and her friends were sitting. When Mario saw her coming, his face lit up. "Hey Vivian! Been wondering, how are your sisters?"  
Vivian shrugged. "I don't know... To be honest, I wouldn't care if I never see them again. I just hope that wherever they are, they're not too upset that 1,000 years of hard work just went down the drain for them. Funny thing is, the same thing happened to me, and I've never been happier in my life! Hopefully Beldam and Marylin can find their Mario someday, too..."  
Mario smiled again.

"And how's Doopliss, sweetie?" asked Ms Mowz.  
"Oh, he's great!" Vivian said. "He and I are getting along really good, actually. I know a part of him is still really hurt, but his heart is healing. He and I are still real happy to be friends either way."  
"Well, that's wonderful to hear," Flurrie said, looking down at Ms Mowz.

Mario then noticed Vivian holding the Map in her hand. "Oh hey, you still got that thing?"  
Vivian looked down at it and began to open it up. "Oh, yeah! Listen, I know you all were interested in that last poem verse, but from my memory, there isn't any more after the verse the Shadow King wrote... but that's OK. Here's a final verse that I think might make you all feel better about that..."  
Vivian then held out the paper for all to see. Indeed, after the rest of The Poem, there was a final verse written at the bottom...

_**Protector of the Sky  
Once again shines high  
Thanks to eight heroes of heart,  
May they never drift apart...  
**_

"I wrote that..." Vivian said, her cheeks turning red.  
These four lines of poetry were enough to almost make them all shed tears. Had Peach been there with them, she certainly would have.  
"That was really nice," choked Mario. "Thanks Vivian."

Vivian then looked down, her face sad. "You know, something's been bothering me. You all claim that I have a heart, yet when I put my hand where it should be, I feel nothing... no beating or anything..."  
Mario reached over and put a hand on her shoulder. "Aw Vivian, the heart is just an organ... A REAL heart isn't a physical thing. I won't go into detail, mainly cuz the concept is too deep to explain with words, but trust me Vivian... You have as big a heart as anyone I know."  
Vivian was so touched by Mario's words that she placed her hand over her chest.  
She then looked up at Mario...  
And leapt forward, embracing him tightly.

"Yay! Group hug!!" Goombella shouted, snuggling up against Mario as well.  
Flurrie and Ms Mowz looked at each other. "Aw... Group Hug!" They then joined in too.  
Koops and Bobbery shrugged. "Group Hug!" they shouted, getting involved in the hug.  
"Aw, why the heck not?!" Verdugo asked. "GROUP HUG!!" He then jumped on the pile himself.

And Mario and his friends hugged for a long time, under the heavenly light of The Rainbow, which would spread its love and protection across the sky for many years to come...

_**/\THE END/\**_


End file.
